


rompecabezas

by mariuspunmercy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, In which Voltron doesn't exist, Like v minor, Minor Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Unrequited Love, and Lotor is a nice dude, and pretty much everyone plays a sport, it's high school don't expect much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-08-29 04:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 46,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16737370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariuspunmercy/pseuds/mariuspunmercy
Summary: Pidge is happy with high school, despite crushing over her best friend who's the star quarterback and a certain tennis player.Yup, Pidge loves it at Garrison High.





	1. cornflower

**Author's Note:**

> Song Inspiration:  
> Best Friend - Rex Orange County

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge's favorite class is her fifth period. 
> 
> Reasoning being very obvious.

Cold.

Pidge walked into fifth period with regret as her biology teacher blasted the air conditioning. Cold is the only thing that Pidge could feel.

Well, at least until her eyes landed on Lance.

He was sitting there, fourth row out of the six in the classroom. He had his chair turned to the side, having a chat with his friend, Allura. Those two, always talking.

Pidge continued walking to her seat, where she sat behind Lance. He turned behind him now, his conversation with Allura paused briefly. “Did you retake the quiz from last week?”

She was ready to propose marriage.

“Nah, I got a ninety three,” Pidge spoke, trying not to smile so wide. “Might as well keep my score like that since I already have a passing grade in the class.”

In reality, she had a ninety six point eight. But, she always liked to stay humble and only brag about her grades when the time calls for it. Which is most of the time when talking to Lance.

“Some of us have a C,” Keith took his seat next to Pidge, sitting behind Allura. “Mainly because I spend most of this class talking to this one,” he nodded towards the girl in front of him. “Instead of paying attention.”

Allura playfully smacked the hair that was in front of his face. “That’s on you, dude.”

“I talk to Allura too,” Lance tried joining. Weird flex, Lance, but okay.

The teacher had sat them all next to each other. But really only Lance and Pidge knew each other. Allura had just moved from another school and Keith transferred here his junior year.

Senior year now, and the four of them have become somewhat friends. Well, Lance and Pidge had already been best friends. All that’s happened in sitting behind each other was make them closer.

Which meant that Pidge developed some kind of weird feelings for Lance.

Hunk, their other friend, had always called it. He says that they apparently always flirted in junior year, but it was all bickering. Like that one argument about sunsets and Lance looking as cute as that porcupine they found in the street.

That was terrifying, but it’s those little moments that made Pidge eventually fall for him. The stupidly sweet dork that sits in front of her in biology.

The bell rang, signilaning that fifth period had officially began. Everyone else turned to face the teacher, Mr. W, except for Lance and Allura who continued to talk.

Mr. W didn’t bother saying anything. He knows that at this point all Lance would do is start whispering to Allura instead of talking in the hushed voices they’re speaking in now.

Pidge completely zoned out when Mr. W began talking about cellular respiration. She found herself poking Lance in the back through the little hole in his chair. She saw him tense up.

“I will end you,” Lance jokingly threatened quietly, and turned back to talk with Allura.

“Bet,” Pidge challenged. She always found fun in teasing Lance. This was a regular occurance of them play fighting and pretend arguments. It ranges from who will kill the other first to who has the better smile.

Pidge won that one.

Lance kicked behind him, hitting Pidge softly in the shin. She made a soft whimpering noise and pretended like the hit had actually hurt her. She noticed Keith and Allura playing footsies too.

Keith raised his hand to answer a question. “Every living thing has a form of cellular respiration,” he answered. He mumbled, “Allura can’t distract me that bad.”

“Sorry, can’t help that I’m attractive. Guess I’ll distract everyone,” Allura winked at Lance as a way to show Keith that she can be distracting.

But Lance turned bright red. “Any more of that and I will actually fail this class,” he leaned back in his seat and flashed her a cocky grin. Gah, that grin that Pidge loves to see.

He has this smile on his face once Allura turns back to Mr. W as he looks at her. Pidge loves this smile because it’s genuine. It isn’t his cocky or pretend one. It’s his real one.

She usually sees this when he’s talking to Allura, but that’s probably because she’s funny and he likes funny jokes. Lance laughs at anything funny.

Well, except Keith. But that’s because most of Keith's jokes are making fun of Lance. And Lance does not appreciate the greatness of the roast as much as everyone else does.

“Stop being distracted,” Pidge smacked him upside the head. “Pay attention to cellular respiration and how plants do it and why it's important.”

“What if I don't wanna?” Lance turned slightly so it looked like he was still paying attention. “We don't all wanna be a straight A student, Pidge. I give up high school.”

“Sorry, you have to go to college to be a pro football player, dude,” Pidge grabbed his drawstring bag from the floor that contained his football gear for practice later.

“Take it,” Lance shrugged. “Then I won't have to go to weight room and then practice right after and then I can hang out with you, my friend.”

“You, my friend,” Pidge poked his shoulder. “Forget that I have softball practice. Don't forget that your sister got recently hired as the varsity coach so I gotta practice with her.”

“Damn varsity kids.”

“You're literally wearing your letterman jacket,” Pidge traced the letter of his sleeve that said ‘Varsity 15-16”. “You made varsity your freshman year what the hell do you mean.”

“You made varsity sophomore year,” Lance teased, getting in her face. “I made varsity before you.”

“We're not all gods at our sport, fifty four,” Pidge uses his jersey number as a way to get under his skin. He takes his number with pride, so it never really works.

“Yeah, but you're just a straight up god,” Lance finished before turning his attention back to the lesson.

“Okay, now split into your groups and fill out the worksheet,” Mr. W started to hand out the papers to the first person in each row. “It's your choice if you want to work with others. Go.”

“This actually seems like a lesson I'd understand,” Allura studied the paper and smiled to herself. “I'm excited to do something for once.”

“Hey Allura,” Lance stood up at the same time as she did. “Do you really want to work on the worksheet or do you just wanna work with me?”

Allura shook her head. “You're not in my group, so we can't work together. Come on, get with the program Lance.”

Pidge acted like she didn't see the glance that Keith made towards the pair. It was playful bantering anyways. She was friends with Allura, yeah, but not anything close to the level of friendship she had with Keith and Lance.

“Lo siento, Allura,” Lance rested an arm on Pidge as she stood up as well. “But nobody can resist working with me.”

“Lance, we're not so sure about that,” Keith joked. It was one of those jokes that Lance didn't find very funny.

“Forget you,” Lance rolled his eyes. “Imma work with Pidge.”

“We're not in the same group but okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who speaks fluent spanish, except more of it haha
> 
> In case you wanna know what the class looks like (rectangle things are lab tables) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/13GUDilJrwlFjLtcVlStf-jL9KOhc8gUD/view?usp=drivesdk
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	2. bells of ireland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sad Lance isn't gonna fly by Pidge.

“How do humans impact the carbon cycle?” Pidge secretly turned around slightly to ask Lance the answer to number five on the worksheet.

“Use photomath,” Lance shrugged and turned to face her as well. 

“This is biology, genius,” Pidge rolled her eyes. “I don’t think that Mr. W cares all that much is we talk. Look at Keith and Allura. He hasn’t said anything to the two of them.”

Lance stayed silent for a moment. He looked at the two at the other lab tables, talking and laughing. He replied a couple of minutes later, “Just use photomath. I don’t wanna do this right now.”

That’s… odd. Lance was always eager to help Pidge. Not that she really needed to, but it was nice to talk with him. The way his eyebrows crinkle in concentration as he tried to find the answer.

“If you really need help then I’ll help you,” Pidge reassured. She patted his shoulder in comfort. “Like I mentioned already, Mr. W doesn’t really seem to care if we talk to people outside of our lab group.”

“I think that your group needs you,” Lance motioned to the guy who sat next to her, Lotor, who was trying to get her attention. Lance turned back to his lab group.

She groaned on the inside. “Yes, Lotor?”

Lotor had his white hair up in a ponytail, but it was messy due to the amount of times that he had been rubbing his head in frustration. “Well, James and I don’t really understand number two.”

“Hmm,” she checked her worksheet. Pidge had already done that question about the formula for photosynthesis. “The product is on the right side of the arrow.” 

Both Lotor and James, who sat across from her, had faces glow up in realization. “Oh, okay. Got it.” She gave a thumbs up to the both of them.

Pidge hit the sleeve of Lance’s jacket lightly to get his attention again. “Have you figured out what number five is?”

Lance shook his head. “Nope. Kinda tempted to go ask Allura right now, but she’s too busy talking to Keith over there to pay much attention to the worksheet anyways.”

“I’ll go ask,” Pidge walked away from Lance and wandered tables. She went up to the pair, where Keith had been pretend doodling on his letters on his jacket.

“What’s he doing?” She asked Allura, pointing to Keith.

“Don’t write on your letters,” Allura scolded. “You barely got that varsity letter for football last year. Don’t ruin it, now.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I was only pretending to write on it, but okay. I guess I gotta stop now because the great Allura said I have to.”

“You know that I’m great. Don’t even try to deny it.”

“That’s true. You are great. But we all know that being a tennis player means nothing when you’re on football.”

Allura pretended to be offended. ‘“I’ll have you know that being on varsity tennis since freshman year and making it to CIF every time is better than  _ losing  _ in the quarterfinals since nineteen ninety eight.”

“We almost made it to finals last year with only a touchdown and kick away. At least we didn’t get swept in the finals.”

Pidge interrupted with a wave of her hand. “Argue about football and tennis later. For now, I need help on number five and Lance isn’t being of much help over there.”

Keith shrugged. “Humans have an impact on the carbon cycle when we release dangerous toxins into the air.”

“Okay, thanks,” Pidge started to head back to her group and heard Allura and Keith arguing more. 

“Tennis is a sport fuck you Keith.”

Pidge shook her head as she heard them arguing. “I have returned from my quest to the other lab tables where I have discovered the answer to number five.”

Lance barley glanced at her. “Cool.”

“What?” Pidge questioned him. 

“Oh, nothing,” Lance smiled at her like normal. “Well, what’s the answer, genius?” 

“Humans impact the carbon cycle because of toxins,” Pidge couldn’t believe that she didn’t get the answer by herself. Maybe paying attention would help.

She liked to feel smart. Pidge liked that in her group of friends, she was the one who was considered smart. 

There’s Hunk, the sympathetic one. And Keith, the brooding emo. Allura, the girl who everyone loves. Plus Lance, the guy everyone loves too. 

Lance is so easy to get along with. It’s the kind of guy he is. The starter for varsity football is a giant teddy bear who’s nice to anybody he meets. Only rude to the baseball assholes like Zarkon.

It’s hard to be nice to everyone. There’s been times when Pidge has caught herself wanting to yell at a group of freshman who were walking too slow in the hallways. But that would make her seem like a bitch.

It’s strange. Every sport has a reputation. Football players are nice when they choose. The cheerleaders are polite. Softball’s tough. Baseball players are fifty kinds of assholes, with the exception of Lotor. Tennis has Allura, so everyone loves tennis.

Pidge thinks that it sucks the way that high school has to be sorted into these category type of thing. She’s the softest person you’ll ever meet, according to what Lance has told her before.

“I don’t understand any of this,” Lance sighed at his worksheet. “I really regret not paying attention now that I don’t get how to do this.”

“That is why you have to ask Keith because he actually does his work,” Pidge joked. Which is a complete lie, considering that he and Allura were arguing about tennis not even three minutes ago.

“I’m not asking Keith for shit,” Lance said harshly.

Pidge hadn’t seen Lance like this for a good while. She sighed. “What, is Keith going to start on Friday instead?”

They used to hate each other. Lance worked his ass off freshman year to get pulled up to varsity. Keith joins football the year he transfers and didn’t even see the JV team. That’s what started their little rivalry.

Obviously, they’re better now, but Lance still gets this way around Keith on days when he’s feeling upset. Pidge is always there to help him back up when he falls.

“No,” Lance ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m just a little moody at the moment. Nothing to make a fuss about. You can go back to your worksheet now. Ignore me for the next decade or so.”

Pidge moved his hand away from his hair to avoid messing it up more. “Don’t do that to your hair. It’s gonna make your scalp all flaky, especially because you use head and shoulders shampoo.”

“Let’s not make fun of my dandruff,” he tried to hold in his laughter, but couldn’t once Pidge poked him in the side where he’s most ticklish. Aka the only place he’s ticklish.

“You are not allowed to be Sad Lance™,” Pidge pointed her pen at him. “We are going to make you feel better at lunch once the bell rings.”

“Oh, I’d very much like to see you try. I’m not even that upset. It’s nothing, really, in all honesty,” Lance put his hands up in defense.

This left his sides vulnerable for a tickle attack from Pidge. She poked him immediately on the left and right. He crumpled like putty with laughter. He tried to grab at his sides to not avail.

“Pidge, okay,” Lance was tearing up as he loosely tried to grip at Pidge’s wrist to make her stop. Wow, the five foot girl managed to make the six two boy weak with her hands.

Accomplishment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English class isn't being used to learn how to write.
> 
> We're writing instead.
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	3. iris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That shit really hurted Lance.

Pidge was very glad when she got to walk with Lance alone to their lunch spot.

Don’t get her wrong, she loves Keith and Allura. She may not be that close with Allura, but she’s still her friend. But, Pidge always likes it when she’s able to talk with Lance alone.

Whenever they’re with the other two, Lance always seems to want to be talking with Allura. It makes sense. It’s only October, and he’s still trying to get her welcomed to the school.

Lance is nice that way. It’s one of the many reasons that Pidge fell for him. The way he talks with anyone when they need a friend or just to talk. It’s the way that Lance is.

“So, what happened that made you upset right now during fifth?” Pidge questioned, bumping his shoulder as they walked.

“It’s stupid, and something that probably will never happen so it doesn’t matter,” Lance bumped her shoulder back, but because she’s way tinier, she ended up flying at least a good five feet away.

Pidge didn’t get the chance to keep interrogating him because he left her in the dust from there. He took off running, but not quick enough so that he would bump into anybody else.

“I hate you so much,” she mumbled to herself. Lancet was too far away from her to hear what she had said. She could run if she really wanted to, but she really doesn't want to.

Lance was cackling when she finally caught up with him at their spot. “You can't keep up with me.”

“Forget you,” Pidge rolled her eyes. She sat down at one of the five blue tables that were lined underneath a tree. They always sat at the one that was at the edge.

Hunk had his fifth period two doors away from the table when they got there, so he was there to laugh at Pidge's misery when she arrived shortly after Lance.

“Damn, y'all ever stop fighting?” Hunk scolded like a middle aged mom who was disappointed in her children. “I'm clutching my pearls just looking at this.”

“Sup,” Keith greeted. He sat down as Allura took the seat next to him. “So, which one of you guys is going to share your lunch with me today?”

“Imma actually go with Romelle and Coron later when they get done with their ASB stuff,” Allura informed. “So no, I will not be giving you my lunch. Not sorry, Keith.”

Lance sat down on the other side of Allura, as he had been previously standing up after running away from Pidge. Now, she only sat next to Hunk.

“Why you going with your other friends?” Lance questioned. “I personally think that we're all way cooler than them. For example, I'm Lance McClain. There's enough said.”

“Yeah, you're cool I guess. But when Lotor joins us, then we're officially the coolest squad on campus and that's the tea, sis,” Allura did a hair flip to this line.

“Lotor hangs out with you guys?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Romelle is one of his best friends after all. Baseball and ASB just go together, I guess,” Allura shrugged, brushing off the defensive question from Keith.

“Whatever, I'm still cooler than both Coran and Lotor. Just saying,” Lance put his arms around his neck in a relaxing motion. “You should stay here and hang with the cool kids.”

“I think that I'm the coolest one here,” Allura sat up a little straighter. “At least, when I'm comparing myself to you.”

Lance gasped and put a hand over his heart. “Dishonor on you. Dishonor on your family. Dishonor on your cow.”

“Don't you have a cow in Cuba?” Pidge asked. She obviously knew that the answer was yes, but she wanted to get into the conversation instead of staying quiet the whole time.

It's happened before when Lance is chatting it up with Allura and Pidge, being polite, doesn't intervene, and ends up talking to nobody the whole lunch period.

“Kaltenecker, yeah,” Lance smiled as he thought about the cow. “She's a good cow. Her milk can make the greatest milkshakes a cow can muster. I miss that girl. Imma call my grandma to ask her how she's doing.”

Pidge thought this was interesting. If they were alone, or even with only Hunk or Keith, Lance would've ranted on about how great the cow is or even the recipe to the milkshakes that he mentioned.

But when they're in their group, Lance changes somehow. He's still the same, with his jokes and his wit, but he doesn't talk for as long. He doesn't rant about the stuff that he finds interesting.

And it sucks. Because Lance's voice is something that Pidge likes to hear. He can be talking about pretty much anything and yet it'll never be something seriously harmful about another person.

Just the way that he manages to be nice and yet one of the most loved people at the school is surprising. Zarkon is loved, yeah, but that's because everyone is too scared of him to not love him.

Of course, Lance is there to defend anyone who's on the receiving end of Zarkon's threats or bullying. The kindness of him is a huge reason Pidge adores him.

Pidge distracted herself when her softball bat fell out of her bag. It landed on the floor with a loud  _ bang.  _ Great, that's what she gets for deciding to bring her metal bat instead of the wood one.

“I'm telling Veronica that you're beating the floor with your bat,” Lance threatened.

“Don't be making fun of the floor,” Allura joined in on the joking. “It's beneath me to poke fun at another person.”

Keith threw his orange at her for the pun. “Never say something like that again. I think that Lance has influenced you too much. I think you should go with Romelle now.”

“Wait, no,” Lance pleaded. He grabbed at Allura's wrist and got on a knee. “I can influence your decisions a lot if I really tried. Just stay, and I can guarantee that your views will change.”

Allura rolled her eyes and loosened herself out of his grip. “Nah, Coran just texted me. They're ready. I am going to leave now and hang out with them instead of you, you loser.”

Lance buried his face into his hands and pretended to cry. “Allura called me a loser. That shit hurted. Guess I'll die.”

“Guess you will,” Hunk leaned across the table to pat his friend's arm.

“Okay, scoot,” Allura demanded. Lance sulked as he switched sides, sitting next to Pidge, letting Allura out of the line of tables. She grabbed her tennis racket from the floor and walked away.

Pidge put one foot on top of Lance's. “Wow, Lance has us all making puns left and right. One might say that it's tear,” she made a ripping noise. “Able.”

“That was awful,” Hunk didn't even look at her. “At least Lance's jokes can sometimes be funny. That one was plain bad. Pidge, come on and get with it.”

She rolled her eyes and took her lunch pail out of her duffle bag that contained her practice clothes, glove, and catching gear. Yup, she's a catcher.

Just like Lance caught her heart.

Wow. Hunk's right. Pidge's puns really do suck at times. She's never opening her mouth again to speak because whatever she says next is probably going to be a joke and she will actually hit herself with her bat.

“Did anyone finish the working for W?” Lance asked.

“Why did the chicken cross the road?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whyyyyyy am i sound bad at writing when im not in classsssssss?????
> 
> follow my tumblr - soleaa


	4. chrysanthemum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Pidge has a realization thanks to Keith. 
> 
> Veronica is the best.

Pidge hated it when Lance had weight room.

Keith did to, but he often went late when Allura had a little bit of time before having to go to tennis practice. Weight room doesn't take attendance, so it doesn't matter when he goes in.

But this time, he was with Lotor. Keith and Lotor were standing by a pole, talking. Pidge decided that she had nothing better to do before practice. Why not join her friends?

Guess they saw her before she even started walking towards them. “Yo, Pidge!” Keith shouted. Lotor made motions with his hands to beckon her over.

Pidge began walking, one foot in front of the other. When she caught up with the boys, she saw Allura walking to the tennis courts, laughing at a joke that Shay, one of her friends, told her.

Keith turned around at the sound of her laugh. He got her attention with a whistle. He smiled and waved at her. She returned the affection, and giggled at something Shay told her. She slapped her friend with a tennis racket, and they continued walking.

The way they interact reminds Pidge greatly of the way her and Lance interact. They're very touchy feely with each other. Very smiley and interactual.

“So, you and Allura?” Lotor smiled at Keith. “What's going on with you two. You want it or nah?”

Keith laughed at him. “I think Lance might be wanting it too.”

This made Pidge's head turn.

“What?” She suddenly felt very small. Keith and Lotor were only inches away from her but she was too far. They looked to her as though they were miles away.

There's no way. Wasn't Lance only trying to be nice to Allura? No, Keith is reading the signs wrong. It can't be possible. Lance doesn't like Allura. It's just the way that Keith is thinking.

But Keith nodded at her. “The way he looks at her and is always talking to her? Yeah, there's no way that Lance isn't into her too.”

Pidge was starting to panic.

It can't be right. He's always talking to Allura to be nice. He's trying to welcome her to the school by being friendly. That's the way Lance is because of how nice he is.

Lance can't… Pidge knew that she had a very slight chance of getting with him. But she at least still had a chance as long as he didn't like anyone else and he doesn't like anyone else because he's only being nice to Allura.

He would've told her. Lance is her best friend. He tells Pidge everything. He would have to tell her that he likes Allura. He goes to Pidge for just about everything.

Oh god… They had second period AP English together. They had no one else in that class. Pidge had computer coding, Hunk has math, and Keith is doing world history.

That second period. That's when they always talk. Keith may share a third period with Allura alone but Lance has second. That's where he might've fallen for her.

“Hey, Pidge?” Lotor put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

She doesn't feel like talking. The feeling of loneliness has officially hit her. If Lance didn’t tell her this kind of stuff then what kind of best friends were they? Were they ever really best friends?

“I…” her voice felt so small.  _ Pidge  _ felt so small. She felt like the earth was going to envelop and swallow her whole. She wouldn’t really mind that, at the moment.

The only class she had with Lance with only them two is the class they just had right now for sixth; theatre. Seven period school days drag on forever. Time right now felt like it was passing forever.

Pidge can’t stop repeating it in her head. Time kept going back, but the only moment that it played was Keith talking about the way that Lance looks at Allura, or how they’re always talking, or how he wants her too, or-

“Oh,” Keith inhaled and put a hand behind his neck. “I am so sorry, Pidge. I didn't know. I should've known but I didn’t. I am so sorry,” he leaned in to give her a hug.

Pidge let herself be comforted by Keith. He didn’t mean to tell her that Lance might actually like Allura, even though he’s really just being nice. It wasn’t Keith’s fault.

It’s not Keith’s fault that Pidge just isn’t the kind of girl that Lance likes. It’s not Keith’s fault that the tennis player is prettier and nicer and drop dead gorgeous and actually makes it to CIF and-

“Lance can be an idiot sometimes,” Lotor also joined in on the hug. “You’ll be fine, Pidge. I mean hey, there’s always getting a rebound. A softball player like you… Shouldn’t be too hard.”

Pidge laughed at this thought. It wasn’t like some of the guys at school were scared of her or anything. It’s not like softball has some of the baddest bitches in it.

Oh shit.

“I have practice still,” her wide eyes pulled away from the hug. “I completely forgot about that. I gotta go,” she was smart about this and changed before coming over to talk with the boys.

She just couldn’t have known what was going to happen.

“Really quick question,” Keith grabbed her wrist as she started walking away. “Are you sure that you’re okay? I know it hurts. I can’t say how badly, but I know that it does.”

Pidge thought.  _ Is  _ she okay? Sure, she felt like crying and maybe punching a wall and perhaps even snapping her bat in half, but she’s fine. No reason to cause a fuss about it.

He doesn’t like her anyways.

“I’m fine,” Pidge shrugged. Maybe it was better that she hadn’t brought her wood bat. Then she really would've broken it. Which she’s done before to one of her old bats in a fit of anger. “See you guys later.”

She began to walk away, dragging her feet behind her. Now, she had to walk past the tennis courts to get to the softball field. She had to look at Allura as she played for varsity.

No, Pidge is not going to blame Allura. Allura has no idea. She had no say. There’s no reason that Pidge should be mad at her. Allura can’t control who likes her and who doesn’t. Pidge was  _ not  _ going to get angry at the other girl.

Oh god, she still had to face Veronica. How is Pidge going to look at Lance’s  _ sister,  _ who is her  _ coach?  _ She can’t look at Veronica without seeing Lance in the first place!

Pidge groaned as she passed the tennis courts. She watched as Allura glided across the tennis court, her Nike pro skirt flowing and the white shirt sticking to her body.

It’s no mystery why Lance would like her. Allura is beautiful. She’s athletic and smart, while also being really pretty. There’s a reason why she’s so loved by the guys at school.

Allura must have caught her staring because she waved. Pidge had no choice but to plaster on the fakest smile that she could muster and force herself to wave back.

_ This isn’t Allura’s fault. This is not her fault. It’s not her fault. She has no control over this. _

“Hey, it’s Pidge,” Acxa had her bat slinged around her shoulders. “We’ve been waiting. You’re like, two minutes late. Coach was about to call the cops.”

“Okay, so you’re not kidnapped. That’s good,” Veronica joked. She looked back at Pidge and crinkled her eyebrows. “What’s with the long face?”

Pidge shook her head. She doesn’t want to talk about it. Only think about it to herself so she can drown herself in her many wallows. Yeah, that sounds good.

“Katie, what happened?” Veronica demanded. She may be a coach, but she was also a friend, thanks to Lance’s doing.

Oh, Lance…

“Coach is using your real name,” Narti teased, putting a hand on Pidge’s shoulder. “Now you really gotta tell her what’s up.”

Pidge sighed and stomped her foot as a joke. “Your stupid brother.”

Stupid brother, stupid feelings, stupid boy, stupid Lance….

“What the hell did he do now?” Veronica demanded. “Katie, I need answers here.’

Was this a petty reason to be upset? Yes. But, she still couldn’t help the feeling of wanting to cry every time someone spoke to her. Or whenever she opened her mouth to talk.

“Why do tennis players have to be so pretty?” Pidge fell to the floor, burying her face in her hands. “Allura is perfect and athletic and smart, and I’m over here. It’s no wonder she likes her over me.”

All the girls on the team crowded around Pidge. They all kept cooing her, with it’s okays, and he’s not important and all this crap.

No, if he wasn’t important than she wouldn’t be so upset over this. Lance is important to her, but she’s not going to let him ruin a perfectly good softball practice because she’s a little sad about a boy.

“Preseason games aren’t going to get better if we don’t practice,” Pidge stood up from the ground, refusing to cry as Veronica’s eyes bore into hers. All she could see was Lance.

“Katie-” Veronica cut herself off by embracing Pidge in a hug. “My brother is really stupid. You  _ are  _ good enough, he just doesn’t see it. You are you, and that’s going to be enough for a boy, or girl, anyday. If it isn’t, then fuck them. Lance is being an idiot.”

Pidge rubbed her eyes on Veronica’s shoulders so no one could see the tears that spilled.

“Thank you,” Pidge sniffed, but tried not to make it noticeable that she had let a couple of tears fall. It’s stupid to cry over a guy. It’s not stupid to cry when a particular practice is difficult, though.

“Okay, we have to practice now,” Pidge dismissed her own feelings. “Let’s start, now.”

“Pidge,” Veronica’s voice had an edge to it.

“I’m fine!” She snapped back. “Let’s just practice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S MIDNIGHT AND I GOT SCHOOL SHHH IK
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa


	5. periwinkle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God damnit Keith.

**L: hey u okay ?**

Lance got home with a hit to the face with a pillow when he got home from practice. His sister, Veronica, had yelled at him for being an idiot and stupid.

“What?” He asked when Veronica had finally finished yelling.

“You stupid idiot,” she hit him with a pillow. “Stop being such a freaking idiot,” she hit him in between every word.

“Veronica,  deja a tu hermano en paz!” Their mom yelled from the kitchen.

“Si,  déjame solo, Veronica,” Lance smiled evilly at sister as she threw the pillow to the floor in defeat. “Besides, I already know that I’m dumb. Why am I just being informed about it?”

“Pidge was crying at softball practice,” Veronica gritted through her teeth. “Would you like to explain that?”

Lance froze. He can count on one hand the amount of times he’s ever seen Pidge cry around people that aren’t him. She dumps her emotions to him and yeah, she cries. But never in front of people that aren’t him.

“I really don’t know,” Lance shrugged. “I really wish that I could tell you that I can pinpoint the exact reason, but in all honesty, she hasn’t told me anything.”

“If you fucking hurt her,” Veronica lowered her voice. “I swear to actual god, I will make football a thousands times harder for you. Not even Dios would be able to help you.”

Lance gulped as he walked away from that very scary threat. Practice was already absolute hell. Good thing he doesn’t have to worry about hurting Pidge. He would never do something that would affect his best friend in a negative way.

But she was crying… What was she crying about? She always went to Lance when she was having a problem that she can’t ignore and needed a good cry. Why didn’t she go to him?

So, as he waited for Allura to take her seat behind him in second period, he took out his phone and texted her. Dr. Sanda was too old to catch Lance texting on his phone.

“Hey,” Allura greeted as Lance’s phone ping went off with Pidge’s response. He put his phone in his pocket. He’ll answer it in a bit. He turned around in his seat to face her.

“What’s popping?” Lance wanted to hit his head into the desk.  _ What’s popping?  _ God, he’s such an embarrassment. Even Keith can talk to Allura smoother than he is right now.

“Nothing much, really,” Allura shrugged. Glad she didn’t see his question as too dorky. “We have one more game to determine if we’re going to the CIF championships against-”

“Against Galra, I’m guessing?” Lance interrupted her. The good old classic school rivalry game against the Garrison and Galra.

The only reason that Galra and Garrison are rivals is because they’re in the same town. The district even calls in the Cross Town Crown game. It’s not even just for tennis. The rivalry is a thing across all sports and clubs on campus.

Allura nodded. “We already played them in our Cross Town game, but since we’re both tied with 7-3, we have to play against each other again to determine who’s going to CIF.”

Lance gave her a thumbs up, and didn’t turn around as the bell rang as Dr. Sanda began to teach. No one ever really payed attention in that class. It’s the teacher, definitely.

“Keith told me that you guys still haven’t played the Cross Town game,” Allura pointed out. “I’m planning on going to that one if we’re not playing.”

Of course Keith told her. Keith tells her everything because Keith is always talking to her. This class is seriously the only time that he ever gets to talk to his crush  _ alone. _

He took his phone out of his front pocket secretly. Lance checked the message that Pidge had sent him only one minute ago.

**Pidgeon: not really lol but its not important anyways**

Lance was taken aback. How could she say that it’s not important? She literally cried at softball practice and didn’t even come to him after it happened. There’s no way that it’s not important.

**L: ik theres no way its not important so fucking spill**

He put his phone back into his pocket and turned to face Allura again. He decided to be bold with his next choice of words. “I have a crush on someone.”

Allura sat up straight and clapped her hands. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Me too! I wanna guess who yours is. Describe your crush and I’ll describe mine.”

Lance was… surprised to say the least. She got happy at the mention of him having a crush. Wait. Could she possibly be happy because…

The way her face lit up. The way she said me too. The way she wants him to describe this girl. Well, this should be good because that girl is her…

“First of all, it’s a girl,” Lance started with the describing with this teasing. He is bi, so he has to describe this part with a little more detail.

Allura laughed. “Wow, so is mine.”

Lance’s face dropped, and Allura noticed this. She laughed at him and shook her head. “I’m kidding. Mine is a guy. He’s also on football.”

He felt the need to straighten the collar of his letterman jacket. He felt the need to get a lint roller to make his varsity letters nicer. “This girl is on tennis.”

She gasped. “So I know her!” She clapped giddily. “Alright, so this guy has been on varsity more than once.”

Wow, amazing. Lance has literally been on varsity since his freshman year, so that means that he fits the description of her crush so far. “The girl is a  _ varsity  _ tennis player.”

“So I for sure know her,” Allura got a little happy in her seat. “I have to set you guys up. Alright, so he’s a starter. More specifically, a dark haired starter.”

Lance ran a hand through his brown hair. “This girl has very light hair and is… beautiful. She’s one of the prettiest girls that I’ve ever known.”

If you subtract his mom, Veronica, and his grandma, then Allura may very well be the prettiest girl he knows. Well, at least somewhat tied with his best friend.

“This guy has… such a personality,” Allura looked at the ceiling as she spoke, as if thinking of him. “The way he talks to me and how we can have conversations for hours about the stupidest things in the world.”

He was starting to get impatient. He wants her to say that it’s him so that he can tell her that the girl is her. They can start dating today, just in time for her important tennis games and his football games.

“The girl is…” Nah, he was going to continue teasing her until she said it first. “The girl is one of the best people I’ve ever met.”

“This guy, in my opinion no shade, is the best at football. He made varsity within a year of being at the school. That’s freaking amazing,” Allura said.

Okay, Lance knows that it’s him now. He was at the school for only a year and got pulled up to varsity. She thinks he’s freaking amazing. She thinks he’s amazing!

“She made varsity pretty early on too,” Lance couldn’t keep his grin to himself. “She’s one of the best on the varsity team, anyways. Why she was ever on JV is a mystery to me.”

“Okay, well,” Allura bit her lip as a blush spread across her face. “I’ll bite. It’s Keith.”

Lance’s heart sunk to his toes.

He didn’t even know what to say. What is he supposed to say? He thought five seconds ago that she liked him. Now, she just revealed that she actually has a crush on  _ Keith? _

“Oh,” he said in a voice that was way too high pitched to be his. He sounded more like Keith at the moment.

How could he have been so  _ stupid?  _ Keith is a guy who’s been on varsity football more than once. He has dark hair and starts. He’s  _ always  _ talking to Allura. He even made varsity after being at the school for only a year his junior year…

“Who’s your girl?” Allura asked.

“Keith,” he stumbled over his words. “Shit, wait. No, didn’t mean to say that,” he waved his hand to dismiss the question. “Doesn’t matter anyways.”

He turned back to the front to face the lesson. He took his phone out of his pocket to see two messages from Pidge. Good, maybe she could keep his mind off of crying.

“You good?” Lance turned to see Ezor, one of Pidge’s teammates. “You look like you’re about to cry,” she whispered the last part way quieter.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” he turned back to his phone.

**Pidgeon: im telling u its nothing**

**Pidgeon: but if u rlly must know, its just stress**

Lance smiled to himself. Of course she tries dismissing her own feelings. They really need to talk about her habit of doing that. He shook his head and sighed, replying to her.

**L: if its really nothing then i need to rant**

**L: six @ coldstones ?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact about dear author here - the guy i used to like played this game with the girl he liked at the time and it went down somewhat like this where he thought she was talking about him but it was actually his best friend. i ended up with the best friend whoops
> 
> HAD TO WRITE THIS SINCE SEASON 8 STREAMS IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES AND I GOTTA GET THE JITTERS OUT
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa


	6. calla lillies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is emo and Pidge demands answers.

Pidge was dying after softball practice.

Veronica decided that it would be a great idea for them to run the whole time from two forty five to five thirty. Sprints, base running, laps, whatever it be. They ran the whole time. 

She still rolled up to Coldstones at around six. She was constantly late to everything, so Lance probably meant that they were going to meet at six fifteen.

Speaking of Lance… He looked like he was going to cry for all of today. During fifth, he participated in the lesson instead of actively talking with them like he usually does.

Theatre was even weirder. He's usually the one who volunteers in that class and does all the work. Probably because Mr. Shirogane is going to be a good reference letter since he used to play football until he lost an arm. But Lance today didn't do anything but hug his knees and listen to music.

Lance was already sitting down at one of the tables outside when Pidge showed up. He had ordered them both ice cream already, as he knew her order from all the times they've come here for ranting support.

“What's happening and why are you sad?” Pidge asked as she sat down. She took the spoon that Lance offered her and started eating, the cold feeling nice on her tongue after only tasting hydroflask water.

He ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to take a bite of his ice cream (he bites it when he's stressed). “I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier but I really like Allura.”

Pidge nodded. She had to prevent herself from having a breakdown here. “Yeah, I figured with the way you're always talking with her.”

No, she did not figure. She stupidly thought that he was being nice to her. She can't get over the guilt in Keith's face when he realized what he had said. She doesn't want anyone's sympathy.

“No, like I really really like her,” Lance bit his spoon. “I don't think that I've ever felt this way about a girl. She genuinely makes me wanna be better and makes me happy. Guess I should've known I wasn't for her.”

Yeah, she gets it. He loves her. Still, Pidge was taken aback. What does he mean when he says that she wasn't for him. Of course they were for each other. They're both the same amount of beautiful. They work.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“She likes Keith,” Lance grumbled. He took a big chunk of cookie dough from his cookie dough ice cream and swallowed if without biting. “We did this thing where we described our crushes to each other and I thought she was talking about me but she really meant Keith.”

Why is that second period becoming hell for the both of them? But as least Lance was happy in that class. He was happy being able to spend one on one time with Allura. Now, it probably pains him.

Pidge can't care if she gets Lance now. She has to cheer him up. Because she doesn't like it when he's sad. He's been there for her numerous times when she's upset. She isn't going to allow him to wallow in his upsets.

Before she could even begin to cheer him up, he continued to rant. “She said that the boy was amazing and they could talk for hours and I thought she meant me. Am I not amazing enough for her? Am I not enough?”

This is where Pidge drew the time. She firmly put her foot down, on top of Lance's. “Look, you're amazing. You're passing, you're smart, attractive, the star athlete, and so much more.”

Lance looked away from her. “Yeah, but I'm not amazing to  _ her.  _ I'm not the star athlete to  _ her.  _ I'm not smart enough for  _ her.  _ She sees this all as Keith, not me.”

She knocked at his shoulder to get his attention again. “You know, there's always going to be someone out there who does see you as smart enough. Or amazing.”

It's hard to describe the way she felt about him without it seeming obvious. He doesn't need her confessing her feelings to him right now. He's hurt. She can't do that to him.

“Why the hell would she go after Keith of all people?” Lance questioned, taking another bite of his ice cream. “He's always been so submissive. What is it about him?”

“I can tell you one thing,” Pidge held up a finger. “The reason that people fall for Allura so easily; it's her smile. She has really nice white, straight teeth. She has this innocent smile that makes the guys go crazy.”

Why did she know this? Because when she got home from softball yesterday, all that she did was over analyze every little thing that Allura did and if they hinted at her liking Lance back.

“Her smile is beautiful,” Lance sighed. “Everything about her is beautiful. Why did I have to like the most loved girl in school? I'm an idiot for doing that. Veronica was right.”

For the way he talks about himself, Lance is actually pretty smart. He has pretty good grades in school. This is mainly due to some heavy Pidge tutoring in their sophomore year. 

“We've been friends since freshman year and the grades you've gotten all four years should outweigh the amount of times that you've called yourself an idiot,” Pidge shook her head.

“So, what do you think I should do now?” Lance asked. 

This is where Pidge can't let her feelings cloud her judgement. She can't let what she feels for her friend get in the way of giving him good advice that he'll take to heart.

He listens to her. He listens to what she has to say. She is not going to talk shit about Allura and say how she's stupid for not seeing the great kind of guy that Lance is.

While it's true, it's not what he needs to hear right now. He doesn't need to hear anyone saying anything about Allura. What he needs to do right now is just… Forget.

“The reason this is hitting you so hard is because you're thinking about it so much,” Pidge pointed out. “Go outside and throw some footballs. Find Lotor and poke fun at his hair color. Do anything that'll make you feel better.”

Lance smiled at this. Everyone loves poking fun of Lotor. He's that Friend™. “But what if I don't want to forget about it? We don't even know if Keith likes her back. I could be there for her when she gets hurt.”

“And be added to the list of guys who have also been waiting for the moment someone screws her over so that when she's at her lowest he could try to slide in?”

Pidge didn't know if that was the best thing to say. But, she can't have Lance waiting around for nothing. With the way that Lotor and Keith talked yesterday, of course Keith likes her back.

“You're right,” Lance put his head on the table. “I don't want to be an ass about this. I just don't know what to do right now.”

She smirked as she thought of something. “Hey, why don't we hang out again after practice tomorrow? I'm off at five since Veronica has class tomorrow.”

“You know what?” Lance nodded. “I'd like that. I could hang out with you after practice so I can prevent myself from thinking about Keith too much. I'll pick you up from the softball field since football gets off at four forty five.”

Pidge smiled. What he didn't know was that she actually wanted to cry. She has to comfort him as he's heartbroken, yet unknown to him, she's dealing with the same problem.

Not only that. It's Lance who's making her feel this way. Basically, Pidge like Lance but Lance likes Allura. Except, Allura likes Keith and he likes her back.

Why do half the people in this situation get screwed over?

“Okay fine,” Lance licked at his spoon. “I'll get you tomorrow after practice. It's a date.”

Pidge's eyes blew open as Lance said this. It took her a second to remember that dates are what they always called their hangouts. “Yeah, great.”

Fucking fantastic, Lance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I NEEDED TO WRITE TO CURE MY POST SEASON 8 SAD FEELS
> 
> Lemme just say literally every ship was screwed over in the finale and I'm not just saying that cause Plance isn't canon. 
> 
> For every Lance ship, something happens. One half is dead. The other is married off to a stranger. One of them is out and about with the Blade. They all have something to them. 
> 
> My boy Lance really did get screwed over, but I feel like we all kinda did... Idk. 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	7. marigold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Does the Marigold Flower Mean?  
> Aside from being an important part of any organic garden as a pest deterrent, the Marigold has loftier meanings like:
> 
> Despair and grief over the loss of love

It's stupid.

This is the stupidest reason that Pidge has ever cried; because she's sad that Lance is in love with someone else. It's completely and utterly stupid. Stupid, stupid Lance.

If this is hard for her, she knows damn well that it's a thousand times worse for him. She's not the only one dealing with not having someone love you back at the moment. She can't be selfish when it comes to this kind of shit.

Pidge knows that Keith is going to drag everyone to Allura's tennis game tomorrow since it's an important one. Their second cross town game that determines if they make it to the championships.

And it sucks that Pidge has practice until six the following day. Football gets out of practice early tomorrow, and there's no way that either Lance or Keith are going to skip out on the chance to see Allura in that black tennis skirt.

Why can't she be there? If she was there, she could at the very least distract Lance from thinking about anything too much. She's not even going to be there for him.

What's Lance going to do when he sees Allura and Keith flirting? Oh god, what's Pidge going to do when Lance begins to flirt with Allura? Nope, she can't do this.

It's impossible. It's impossible to deal with problems like this. How the everloving fuck is Pidge supposed to handle the guy she's in love with loving another girl?

Not only that, but the girl also loves someone who actually likes her back. Keith doesn't even have to say it. Everyone knows it. It's not that big of a secret anymore.

_ Crying makes it feel better,  _ Pidge decided. She let out a sniffle as another tear escaped her brown eyes, leaving a streak of water down her cheek. The amount of times that Lance has wiped these tears with his soft thumb is enough to make her miss it.

The way that Lance's soft hands caress her face when he's forcing her to look at him, whether it be to tease or tell her that everything is going to be okay reminds her of the way that he does it to Allura too.

There's no competition when it comes to Lance being her best friend. That's something that absolutely nobody could take away from her. You'd have to pry their friendship from her cold, dead hands and his. 

It sucks how upset she’s getting over nothing.

Lance always watched Allura with such an interest that it was Pidge’s own mistake that she didn’t catch onto him sooner. He looked at her with such high regard.

They make  _ sense.  _ Every senior at school has had a crush on Lance at some point in their high school career. Allura broke hearts left and right by simply just existing. They were made for each other.

And Pidge couldn’t get over the simple fact that she and Lance weren’t meant to be. The fact that he had taken one look at Allura and decided that she was who he wanted was haunting her.

She was tempted to call Hunk and explain her dilema. But she knew the second that she opened her mouth that she couldn’t be able to stop talking and she would rant for hours. She doesn’t really want to do that.

Instagram went off with a notification. She checked it and saw that someone from Garrison wanted to talk with her and hit up her DMs. She ignored it. There was nobody else worth it.

That’s probably a horrible thing to think considering that she was never going to end up with Lance, but it’s her mindset. She’s not going to go talking with all the boys who’ve hit her up because she was upset over something small.

It’s not fair to them to be the rebound. It’s dismissing Pidge’s own feelings which she knows is unhealthy and that she shouldn’t do it and that she should talk about the way she felt but this is  _ Lance  _ that they’re talking about and-

He’s going to call her.  _ No.  _ Pidge completely forgot about the fact that he said that he was going to facetime her at ten while it was currently nine forty six. She’s supposed to _ talk  _ to him.

If Pidge took one look at him, she would see all the small details about him. The little crease of his eyebrows as he vented about Allura. The way his hair fell into his eyes and he would move it out of his face to look at her better over the video chat.

The way his lips would rise into a crooked smile when he was all done, trying to convince both her and himself that he was fine. That it’s no big deal because it’s not like anything was going to happen anyways.

And it’s bad because she’s the exact same way.

When Lotor asked her, when Veronica was worried, and even when Lance pulled his car over, she had dismissed herself every time. It’s no point getting upset about something that was just a daydream from the beginning.

Maybe she should give up and date Allura instead. Yeah, that’d be nice.

Allua  _ is  _ cool and beautiful. Pidge is pan, so it’s not like it would be  _ that  _ much of a big deal. But no, she couldn’t do that to her best friend who was so obviously hurting. Though the mental image of being in a relationship with Allura made her laugh for the first time in hours.

Pidge looked at the wrappers of all the junk that she had eaten. The funions bag, cosmic brownie box, and liter of milk all lay by her bedside table.

It probably wasn’t only Lance who was making her feel sick. Although, she had felt like throwing up due to the amount of times that she had cried. But crying makes her feel better.

Small price to pay for the bigger prize of trying to feel fine again.

All she wants is for Lance to feel fine again. Pidge would be more than happy for him if Allura woke up tomorrow and decided that Lance was the one that she’s truly in love with and then they get together.

“I’m so happy for you, Lance,” she whispered, closing her eyes and imaging how the scenario would play out in her head. “You finally found your dream girl,” she would say, tears dripping down her face and making her glasses foggy.

Damn her overactive imagination.

She wanted to yell. She wanted to yell at somebody. If she left her room right now then she would snap at the first person she saw. And poor Matt, who’s across the hallway from her, does not deserve to feel her wrath. Staying in her room would be the best option for everyone.

Pidge almost screamed when she heard her ringtone for Lance go off.

_ Ladies and gentlemen, we got em  _ followed by the rest of music.

She looked like absolute crap, with eyes puffy and room dark with the only light emitted from her laptop screen when she was doing light browsing.  

Her semi-long hair was up in a messy bun. Since she had grown in out after impulse cutting it with Crayola safety scissors, a bun was her go to hairstyle when she felt upset.

Because if she was angry and hair kept falling in her face, then she was going to end up cutting it again and losing her home alone privileges that her mom had threatened her with when her hair was cut the last time.

“Pidge?” Lance greeted. “Why are you in the dark? Why are your eyes all red and puffy? You have your hair in a stress bun.  Why are you stressing right now?”

She hates lying. She hates straight up lying to his face. But this is a situation where it’s required.

“Someone wants to start talking to me,” she shook her head. It wasn’t  _ entirely  _ a lie. It  _ added  _ to the stress, not caused it. “No big deal. His bio says that he’s a Garrison class of ‘19.”

“Wonder who?” Lance shrugged. “So, if you checked the group chat you would’ve seen Keith inviting everyone to go to Allura’s tennis match tomorrow.”

Pidge felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t seen the group chat with her, Lance. Keith, Hunk, and Allura. She hadn’t even been on her phone besides to check Instagram. Now that she thinks about it, there had been notifications underneath Insta.

“He’s not going to be there with her alone, at least,” she suggested. She really didn’t know because she hadn’t been checking the group chat in the first place.

“Hunk doesn’t wanna go,” Lance sulked. “That means that I’m going to be alone with Keith since you practice tomorrow. Which means that I’m stuck with their shit after the game.”

Pidge wants to go through the damn screen and give him a hug because that look on his face told her all. He had these miserable eyes that welled up with water. His expression might remind one of a puppy who’s been kicked in the chest.

“Lance…” Pidge was about to say something encouraging but Lance lowered the camera lower by accident.

She was flashed with Lance’s bare collarbone, revealing that he is currently shirtless. Thank god that her room has minimal light considering that she was also only wearing a sports bra, and that her face and top of her chest turned a deep red.

The devil would’ve been envious as the color red that Pidge was at the moment.

“I don’t know what to do,” Lance shook his head. He attempted to bury himself in his arms by leaning down, showcasing his bare back. Pidge suddenly felt the oxygen leave her as the space between her thighs felt nonexistent.

She took a shaky breath. “Have you tried talking to her yet? Not even in terms of romance but just straight up talking to her. You know, being friends again.”

He shook his head again and looked up again. The way his hair looked right now made Pidge want to run her fingers through it. “Friendship is the best thing that I could ask for right now, but it still doesn’t feel like enough.”

“It’s hard,” she understood. He had no idea how well she understood the feeling of having an amazing friendship with someone but wanting more. “But do you want to make it harder by telling her your feelings that you know he doesn’t reciprocate?”

It was  _ harsh. _

Pidge saw the hurt flash in his eyes like a child that had been told that Christmas had been cancelled. But, it’s the harsh reality that he needs to know before he does something stupid.

It’s advice that she needs to take herself.

“I know,” he groaned and ran his hand through his hair. Is it just Pidge or is it very hot in her room right now. “I understand what you’re saying. I should preserve the friendship by letting her be happy with Keith.”

She knows that it hurts. She can hear him saying it through gritted teeth. She can hear the way that his voice wants to crack but it doesn’t because he won’t allow it. Worst of all, she  _ understands  _ how that feels.

“You don’t have to accept it, Lance,” he needed to know that his feelings weren’t being dismissed simply because Allura did. “You just have to be there for her.”

Lance nodded. He put a hand under his chin that showed more of his chest. All those years playing football had given him abs that Pidge wanted nothing more than to run her hands over as he kissed her breathless-

Okay, the room was most definitely hot and space was being a motherfucker by closing in on her thighs.

“I will not make terrible and rash decisions,” Lance told her.

She should've known that he was fucking lying when he showed up to her house the next day crying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IK MARIGOLD ISN'T A BLUE OR GREEN FLOWER BUT IT'S MEANING SAYS A LOT ABOUT PIDGE'S SITUATION
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	8. brunnera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is hurting. 
> 
> He's also hurting Pidge without knowing it.

Veronica's knowing look as Lance walked to the softball field doesn't make life easier.

Theatre was filled with how they usually are; not much messing around while also actively participating in whatever scene that Mr. Shirogane wants them to be acting out.

The tension in biology was thick, though. Even though Keith and Allura didn't know why Lance was so on edge, Pidge knew why Lance physically jumped when Keith tapped his shoulder to ask a question.

“What?” She asked as she noticed all of her teammates giving her the same look that Veronica was at the moment. It's the way that girls are.

“Why is Lance coming over here?” Ezor continued to pack her gear into her bag as she watched Lance walk to the field.

“We're gonna hang out right now,” Pidge shrugged. She put her glove in her duffel bag, and when she looked back up, all the girls were surrounding her. “What?”

“He's such an idiot,” Veronica shook her head. “I even hit him with a pillow. Porque es mi hermano como ésto?”

Everyone shrugged. No one understood when either of the siblings switched languages. It's better when Lance is the one speaking Spanish to her. She finds it kinda hot.

“You're not hurt anymore?” Acxa questioned, looking in the distance. “I mean, yay for you if you're unaffected now, but what's with the sudden hanging?”

Pidge stood up after all of her stuff was in her duffel bag. “We've always hung out. We're best friends. It's just that…” she paused. Is this really something that she could tell everybody?

“Just what?” Narti eyed her cautiously.

“He found out yesterday by playing this stupid game that Allura likes Keith,” she rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the guilt. Maybe this isn't something she should be saying.

All the other girls gave her looks of sympathy. “I mean, if you look on the bright side,” Veronica smiled at her. “At least now you know that you at least have a chance. He's gotta get over her eventually.”

Pfft, as if it were that easy. Sure, she could get over Lance. That should be easy peasy. _No._ He's not getting over Allura anytime soon because that's a girl he actually likes.

He's not gonna give up on Allura just because Pidge likes him, no matter how bad she wants fl believe that.

“Maybe,” she looked to where Lance was walking. He was close enough to hear anything they said if they talked loud enough. “Okay, everyone shut up now.”

Pidge smiled at him once Lance had finally gotten to the field. He was also greeted by the entire softball team giving him soft winks. He smiled nervously at them, and gave his sister finger guns.

Bless this awkward dork.

“You ready to go?” Lance asked. He glanced quickly at her other teammates, then back to Pidge.

“Yep,” Pidge picked her bag up from the floor. She quickly said goodbye to everyone as she waved. They all bid her goodbye in a very suggestive tone. “Those bitches,” she mumbled under her breath.

“It’s a pain having to walk from our terf, past the tennis courts, and then still walking all the way over here. How do you do it?” Lance tried to smile as if he were telling a joke, but Pidge knew better.

“It’s an actual pain to walk past the tennis courts,” Pidge put a hand on his shoulder sadly. “Isn’t it?” She has to remember that she’s not the only one hurting.

Lance nodded. “Yeah, and it hurt when I had to walk with Keith over here,” he shook his head. “Except, he stopped walking once we had reached the tennis courts.”

Pidge couldn’t imagine. At least all Lance does is talk about Allura. She doesn’t have to watch from the sidelines as someone else courts him.

It wasn’t a long walk to get to the back of the school, where Lance parked his car. It was just going to feel like a long walk as they had to pass people that neither of them wanted to see.

“Have you talked to her at all?” Pidge asked in a whisper.

Lance shook his head. “I feel like every time I want to talk with her, Keith is hanging over us like a shadow. He’s gonna come and snatch her pretty soon, anyways.”

Pidge reached up on her tippy toes and put an arm around Lance’s shoulders. The angle was awkward, and they probably looked like a WiFi sign, but she knew that he needed comfort.

As much as Pidge wishes that she could have an arm wrapped around him because they were romantically involved she’s fine with comforting him. Rather him be happy.

Lance froze when they reached the courts, and she understood immediately. Keith and Allura were on the bleachers, laughing and talking. Which probably meant flirting.

“Lance, let’s go,” she pulled on the sleeve on his black and orange ‘Garrison Football’ sweatshirt. He didn’t move though. He stayed frozen on that spot and watched as the two grabbed their sides as they laughed.

His hair fell in his face. He was still a bit sweaty, but that’s what happens when you’re the star quarterback. Pidge watched as a bead of sweat fell down his face, tracing a pattern into his very slight stubble .

“Why him?” Lance looked down at his shoes. “Of all people, why’d she choose _him?_ That’s one of my friends. Why would she choose him of all people?”

Pidge shrugged. Why did she choose _Lance_ of all people? Why did Lance choose Allura? It’s these kinds of things that make liking other people so difficult.

“Lance, let’s go,” Pidge pulled on his sleeve harder. “You’re not making it any better for yourself by staying here and watching them.”

He nodded. “You’re right.”

Pidge let out a shaky breath. The kind of breath that one might make if they were about to cry. “Let me ask you this,” she started as they walked past the pair on the bleachers.

The way that Lance watched them as they walked past them was heartbreaking. She wants to help him in every way that she possibly can but she has no idea how to actually do that.

“Hmm?” Lance hummed in response.

“Are you happy for her?”

It’s a legitimate question that Pidge felt like he should think about. Does he care at all that Allura has actually found her dream guy?

Then again; if it _was_ Lance that Allura liked, would she be happy for him?

Lance shrugged his shoulders. “I know that I should be. She found someone amazing. It’s not like Keith is an asshole or anything. He’s a pretty great guy. You know what? I can be sad for myself. I’m going to for a while. But Keith is good for her.”

Pidge smiled at him. “See? Look, you’re already on the reformation process.”

He laughed at her comment as they approached the back gate to the school. “Shoot, I forgot to tell my mom I was gonna go with you.”

“It’s fine,” Pidge shrugged. She always told her mom when she was going with Lance, ignoring the questions coming from Matt. “Just drop me off at home?”

“I’m really sorry,” he inhaled a breath. “We can hang out in the car, I guess?” He approached his car and opened the passenger door for her.

“Hey,” Pidge said as she put on her seatbelt. “Soy bien.”

She may not understand spanish because she took Italian as a language in school,but she still picked up a few phrases that Veronica used at practice when ecstatic or royally pissed off.

“I love it when you speak spanish,” Lance’s dark cheeks flushed a shade of red before turning around to put his car in reverse. “So, what had you so stressed that you cried at softball practice.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Wow, turn the attention to me so you can put off talking about how you’re sad. Nice going. Really healthy coping mechanism.”

In reality, she knew she was talking about herself. She was awful when asked to talk about her feelings. She won’t even cry about it until Lance asks her if she’s okay. _That’s_ when she breaks.

“Katie,” Lance grumbled in a warning tone. “You’re going to tell me what’s wrong with you before I pull over to the side of the road and get in trouble because of you.”

Whenever he uses her full name, Pidge can’t help it when she turns red. It sounds so… agh! She doesn’t even have the right words to describe the feeling she gets when Lance calls her Katie.

Lance was already four blocks away from her house, but he was serious about his threats. He had his hand hovering over the button that would turn on the hazard lights.

“It’s no big deal,” Pidge rolled her eyes. “I’m no reason to be getting in trouble for.”

Find a bullshit excuse to tell Lance before he actually pulls over. _And he will._

“You asked for it,” Lance shrugged as he turned on his hazard lights and pulled over to the side of the road. “When I’m in trouble and can’t get ice cream with you for a month, don't be making faces at me.”

“Lance, no!” Pidge shrieked as he stopped at the side .

“Now, tell me what happened and why you didn’t come to me in the first place,” Lance demanded. He had his eyes on hers to make sure she told him.

Bullshit excuse coming in three, two, one… “Baseball assholes. A little light harassment. It really was nothing. I’m just overly sensitive.”

It’s the most believable excuse she could use since she’s already had problems with Zarkon and the rest of the baseball team, excluding Lotor. Seriously, how did Lotor mix in with that crowd?

Lance scoffed and started driving again. “Those guys are fucking idiots who rely on the misery of others to make their pathetic lives better.”

The way he gets so protective of his friends makes Pidge want to melt. Imagine how great of a boyfriend he’ll be? Nah, that’s just wishful thinking. Never going to happen anyways.

“What’d they tell you?” Lance asked again, keeping his hands on the wheel but his eyes on her.

“The usual,” she shrugged and looked out the window. He can’t know that she’s lying to him.

Lance shook his head. “I hate those assholes so much,” he sped up quicker as if to get her home faster. “I’ll facetime you later, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.” She looked out the window again and said nothing. Their facetimes usually lasted until two in the morning, no regrets when they wake up in the morning.

Well, that’s a lie. Pidge’s only regret is that they didn’t stay up later.

“What happened to me is absolutely nothing compared to what you're going through.” It's very true. Pidge just has to watch Lance be heartbroken but he has to see Keith and Allura always talking.

“Don't compare yourself to me,” Lance took one half off of the steering wheel to put it on her shoulder. “Then that forces you to dismiss your feelings and we can't have that. You're important and so are your feelings.”

Pidge rolled her eyes with a smile. Of course he told her that she was important. He always makes up for it being her best friend. “It's just a bunch of syllables together that make mean words. I shouldn't have gotten so upset about it anyways.”

It is true. Pidge got all upset over an off-hand comment that Keith made. She _cried_ over that off-hand comment. It's so stupid of her to be sad about something as dumb as not being liked back.

Lance pulled up in front of her house. He grabbed her shoulder to force her to look at him. “Katie, it could be the stupidest thing in the world and I would still be there to comfort you. I'll facetime you at ten?”

She nodded. “That's fine,” she gave Lance a quick hug and a thank you before opening the car door. She quickly ran to her house and waved goodbye as she approached her door. He drove off.

“Pidge?” She heard her mom yell as she walked into the house. “Weren't you going with Lance after practice?”

“He got caught up with football,” she lied. Pidge hated lying to her mom, but she doesn't trust herself to speak anymore. There was so much she wanted to do right now. “I gotta do my homework.”

“Hey,” Matt pretend shot her with his fingers. When she ignored him, he sat up from the coach and gave a concerned look. She continued to ignore it and walked straight to her room.

As soon as the door was closed, Pidge began to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plance is canon fuck season 8
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	9. himalayan blue poppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is an idiot but don't ask him why.

Lance knew how to tell the good ideas from the bad.

So don't ask him what he was fucking thinking after Allura's tennis match when he had the chance to talk to her alone. He really doesn't know and would also not like to talk about it.

Well, at least not unless he was talking with Pidge. She's the only one who could possibly make this better.

From the beginning, Lance knew that he didn't want to go to Allura's tennis match. Yeah, it was the cross town game to determine who goes to the CIF championships, but he was going to be stuck with _Keith_ of all people.

Seriously, why couldn't it have been Lotor she likes? At least with Lotor, Lance has an excuse to be all cold and macho towards him because they aren't really friends. Keith is a good buddy though!

When he sat down next to Keith, he was not looking forward to this. He already regretted it the second he sat down. But, he was here to support his friend, not make buddy buddy with Keith.

Allura walked into the tennis court with her racket in her hand. Her white Nike shirt clung to her upper body while the black Nike Pro skirt flowers behind her.

She looks… Perfect. About as perfect as a varsity tennis player can. It's his opinion, but he thinks that she's the best girl on the team. She wouldn't have her own letterman jacket if she wasn't.

Keith must've had the same idea. “Let's go Allura!” He shouted. Allura looked at the bleachers briefly and flashed him a grateful smile.

Why didn't Lance think of doing that? Then, he'd be on the receiving end of one of Allura's bright smiles. What had Pidge said about her? That her smile is really nice and innocent?

It's true. Allura has one of the most beautiful smiles that he's ever seen. Then again, he thinks that most of Allura is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

“You good?” Keith asked concerned as he saw Lance rubbing his face with his hands.

Of _course_ Keith cares if he's okay of not. Keith has no reason to have a grudge against Lance. Keith has no reason he feels like he's never going to be enough for anyone.

Their stupid rivalry had already ended, but Lance felt the need to bring it back. Pidge probably wouldn't be surprised in the least if he picks a fight with Keith.

“All good,” he rolled his eyes sat back as far as he could in the bleachers. He scoffed and shook his head. He is so fucking petty but he really can't help it. Really.

“Lance, are you sure?” Keith put a hand on the other's shoulder. “You look kinda mad. You're even a little pale.”

“I just fucking said that I'm fine,” he shook off Keith's hand. That's sympathy points from someone he did not need. “Please, leave me be and we'll both be good.”

Keith put his hands up in defense. “Alright, but don't say that I didn't try to help.”

Oh, believe him. Lance would sure as hell mention to others how much of a saint that Keith is because he tried to help him as he looked the tiniest bit angry.

Bull crap.

“Damn, I never knew how long these things lasted,” Keith looked at his watch. They'd been there for about an hour already. 

Allura was the only one playing since her set had lasted the longest. The score was tied, and it was up to her to determine if they would be the ones moving on for not.

As Allura hit the ball with the racket particularly hard, the girl on the other team had to run to even attempt to hit it. Except, she was too slow and swung her racket at nothing as she missed the ball.

With that, Allura broke the tie and won. She was the reason that Garrison was going to the CIF championships. Lance is in absolutely awe of the awesomeness of Allura.

He watched as her teammates applauded her and hugged her. He watched as Keith rose to his feet to clap for her. Everyone else watching from the bleachers followed by his example and clapped for their winner.

Lance smirked and stood up to clap. He noticed people already starting to leave the stands. Don't they want to wait to see the girl who won come back out?

“Shit,” he heard Keith mutter under his breath. “I'm late for something. Tell Allura that I congratulate her and that I'll call her,” he continued cursing as he put his red sweater back on and ran to his car.

Lance gave him a thumbs up once he had left. Maybe this was working out in his favor. He dreaded being alone with the two, but now it was going to be just him and Allura.

He waited for her by sitting there alone. He waited nearly half an hour before she came out laughing with Shay. Lance wasn't going to leave no matter how long she took.

“There's the GOAT,” Lance smiled at her as he walked over to the two girls. Shay waved goodbye before leaving the two alone. Lance was forever grateful for that.

“Have you been here waiting?” Allura asked with curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

He shrugged. “It's not like I have anything better to do.” That's a lie. He had biology homework to take care of because he had spent the whole period today talking with Pidge to distract him from Allura and Keith's flirting.

“I appreciate it, thank you.”

“I like you.”

“What?”

“What?”

That's not what Lance meant to say at all. He didn't mean to say that. No, Lance take it back. Take it right. _Take it back this instant you were warned about this already._

He didn't mean to tell her. It was impulse. Not the kind of impulse like when he and Pidge bought the Nintendo Switch this past black Friday, but the impulse where it comes out without thinking.

There's no going back now. Lance _really_ didn't mean to say that. He really wanted to take it back. He can't do that now. He just gotta roll with it and pretend that he isn't panicking and dying on the inside.

“Allura,” he stepped closer to her. But not close enough to the point where all she had to do was reach up and they would be touching. He was vaguely aware of all of her teammates coming out to watch the exchange.

“Can we do this somewhere else?” Allura asked. She eyed her teammates carefully as if daring them to even try to say something.

But Lance was afraid that once they got somewhere else, that he would chicken out. Besides, she needs to do. “You're one of the best people that I know. You're smart and pretty and funny and I all around enjoy being in your presence. I really like you.”

Allura closed her eyes and shook her head. She looked from her teammates and back to Lance. Her face was starting to get panicked. “Lance, I…”

He watched as everyone paid them close attention to see what would happen next. She took a deep breath before answering, “You're a great guy, Lance. And I tell you with the highest dread that I like someone else.”

Why was Lance so hurt when she said this? He _knew_ this. She had already told him herself that she likes Keith and that she thinks that he's amazing. So why did it hurt a thousand times more when she said it this time?

“Keith said that he would call you,” he finished. He walked away from her, not saying congratulations or even listening to her shout his name. He was afraid that once he turned around he wouldn't be able to look forward again.

And that's why Pidge dragged him inside immediately when he showed up to her house crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finished my english final rn so i decided to write mhm
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa


	10. cymbidium orchid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance tells Pidge what he did. 
> 
> Finally.

“Lance?” Pidge groaned as she pulled him inside. “Lance, what the hell did you do?”

Judging by the look and actual tears that Lance is wearing, she knew that it had to be something bad. She was silently thankful that she still had full ‘Home Alone' privileges.

“I really fucked up,” he set course for her bedroom, not bothering to stop by her kitchen for comfort food. Whatever was going on really messed him up this time.

Pidge decided to already try to make him happier when he sat on the edge of her bed with his face in his hands. “It couldn't have been anything too bad.”

He shook his head. “It was awful. I know that it's bad. I don't know  _ why  _ I ever opened my mouth. I should've left the second that Keith did but I was excited we were gonna be alone-”

“Wait, you got her alone?” Pidge asked. She wasn't opposed to the idea since she knew that Lance needed to talk with Allura. But also again, she didn't like that they were able to talk alone.

“Keith said that he had something to do that he forgot about so I was there instead,” Lance wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket. “I didn't think anything of it besides me being able to talk with her alone.”

Pidge sat down next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. “What happened?”

Lance leaned into her. “I told her that I like her on impulse.”

She had to suppress her emotions.  _ Don't cry right now.  _ She kept telling herself that she wasn't the one who had most likely gotten rejected. She can't cry over something that she already knew.

“What did she say?” Although Pidge knew there wasn't much else that Allura could say besides what she was already thinking.

“She told me that she likes someone else, but was sorry about it,” Lance buried his face into Pidge's shoulder.

Pidge laid down when he did this on her bed. He followed by example and took the spot next to her so they lay shoulder by shoulder. “Did she say who?” She run her fingers through his hair.

That's a stupid question that made her wince. She knew the answer to this last time that Lance had to rant to her. Last time when Allura accidentally hurt him.

“She didn't have to,” Lance wiped his red eyes again. “She told me in second, remember? I think even I forgot about that in the moment. It was fucking embarrassing.”

“Hey,” Pidge propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at his face properly. “It's not embarrassing to tell a girl that you love her, regardless of whether or not she's already said that there's another person.”

“The embarrassing part wasn't telling her,” Lance buried his face in his hands. “It's the fact that I said it in front of all her teammates.”

Okay, yeah. That's a problem. That's a very big problem. Allura rejected him in front of all her teammates. That was definitely going to be a very big problem for tomorrow at school.

“Oh, Lance,” Pidge leaned back down in the end and stroked his hair.

“And now I don't even know what to do,” Lance's voice cracked as he started to cry again. “I really like this girl and she means so much to me and I completely ruined everything.”

“Look at me,” Pidge was determined to make him feel better. She grabbed his hands to meet his bloodshot eyes. “You ruined nothing. You can still be friends, even if it takes a little bit of work. You did nothing wrong.”

Lance rolled over onto her. He lay his head on her abdomen. “I didn't mean for this to happen.”

Pidge put an arm around him as best she could, considering the position. “I known you didn't, but no one could've guessed that this would've gone this way.”

Maybe it was where he was lying, or the fact that she was only in pajama shorts and a Garrison Softball tank where her breast were pretty much out on the side, but she felt  _ want. _

Now, she isn't one to think sexually about every little thing that someone does. It's just that considering the fact that Lance is very close to her, she couldn't help it.

If he moved down about ten inches lower, he would be between her thighs. This is the kind of stuff that she's thinking as she's supposed to be helping her friend.

Nice. Priorities are set.

“It was super predictable,” Lance put his arms around her waist to get more comfortable. “She told me already that she's into Keith and I still went ahead and confessed my feelings to her. It's not a surprise this happened.”

_ He doesn't fucking love you, Katie,  _ she thought. He's not going to for a while. And that's okay. All she needs is for him to be okay in this moment as he deals with this.

It's one of the things she's so good at. Being able to dismiss her own feelings because someone else needs help. Lance isn't even the only person to do this to her. She does this with just about everyone who needs help emotionally.

“You're still valid,” Pidge used the arm that wasn't wrapped around him to feel his hair. “You had to have hella balls to do that in the moment, just so you know.”

“She even won the tennis game,” Lance inhaled sharply, which she felt. “She won the game for them at the end and I feel like I messed with her victory by telling her.”

“If Allura feels that way,” Pidge felt his grip on her tighten. “Then that's on her. She's the one feeling that, but you don't need to. Because it's her problem if she thinks you ruined her night.”

Pidge felt out of breath as Lance hugged her waist. Literally, out of breath. He had a death grip on her and she couldn't even shift her body. If she moved, his grip only got tighter.

“Sorry for bear hugging you,” Lance apologized, burying himself deeper in her. “I just need to hold on tight to make sure that you won't let go. I need something in my life right now.”

The fact that Lance has resorted to physical neediness is making Pidge's heart break. Allura really did a number on him, even if she didn't mean to. She was nice about it, but still hurt him.

But, Pidge still isn't going to put the blame of Allura. She can't help it that she's one of the most perfect people in the school and that Lance decided to tell her that he likes her despite the fact that she has feelings for Keith.

There's no need to blame Allura. No one can control who they like. If they could, Pidge wouldn't feel the way she does right now.  

“I'm always going to be here,” because she's in love with him. “I'm not going anywhere, Lance,” she wasn't going unless he asked her to and even then she wouldn't be able to let go.

Pidge isn't sure if she could let go right now. She feels so comfortable with him in her arms as he hugs her waist. Their bodies fit together perfectly in this position that they've been in many times before when one of them needs the other.

“You're literally the greatest,” Lance sounded like he was crying again. And she was going to let him. Who cares about her softball tank when her best friend is having a breakdown.

“Always for you,” Pidge couldn't cry right now. She wanted to. She wanted to so damn bad. But, this wasn't about her. This is about him right now.

It was difficult as she heard Lance's soft cries fill her ears. He was in so much pain because of Allura. How can she get him to understand that she's right there for him?

Pidge always thought of herself as the kind to not cry over a guy. That they're not worth her time and tears and didn't deserve her getting so upset.  Now, she's ridiculing herself over being on the brink of tears.

Lance put his chin up so that he could face her. “I don't know what I would've done without you.”

And she doesn't know what'd she do without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I have finally decided on a title. I'll stop changing it. It means puzzle in spanish. It'll make sense later I swear. 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	11. morning glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is an indirect dick

“Let's all congratulate Allura on her win yesterday,” Mr. W announced at the end of class with a smile. He clapped, and everyone joined along with the teacher.

Keith even leaned forward a bit so that he could clap in Allura's face. She blushed before thanking her teacher. “Yeah, yesterday was a great win. Plus, CIF is still coming up so we gotta save the celebrating for that.”

Lance rested his head on his arm and didn't move. Pidge noticed this and wanted to question him. It looked like Allura did too since she glanced in his direction quite a bit.

She had been doing that all period. When Lance walked in: she glanced. When he turned around to talk to Pidge: she glanced. Whenever Lance made the slightest movement: she glanced.

Maybe Allura is scared that he's going to make a move on her again? Plus it'd be in front of Keith which could totally compromise her chances with him, even if Lance didn't know it.

“You good?” Pidge asks. She knew he wasn't. There was no way that he's okay with seeing Allura again after everything that happened yesterday. But, it's also something that he needs to hear; someone is there for him.

He turns around to look at her. He doesn't speak, but the way his eyes are watering and his frown is so embedded on his face, a shake of the head was all he needed to get his point across.

“I'm so happy for you,” Keith tells her. “I know, I already told you in third but imma keep apologizing for not being there after until it's permanently stuck in your head.”

“ _You're_ gonna be permanently stuck in my head at the rate that you're going at,” Allura shot back. Lance took a deep breath and faced Pidge.

“You mean I'm not already?” Keith raised an eyebrow at her and made finger guns. She blushed and turned around again to the front, but not before sneaking another glance at Lance.

“No puedo hacer esto,” Lance said, scoffing at the way Keith and Allura flirted “You'd think that she'd be at least a little more emphatic towards me considering what happened yesterday,” he spoke quietly so that Pidge could barely hear.

Pidge has to admit that it is a bit strange that Allura would be so affectionate around Keith since that's one of Lance's football buddies, and he confessed his feelings yesterday.

“I gotta go to Walmart later today,” Pidge made that up. She doesn't. But, she knows that all Lance is gonna do when he gets home is be sad. She's gotta get him out of the house. “Wanna come with?”

Lance smiled gratefully at her. “And watch you look for your lady products? I'd love to go.”

“Come to think of if,” Pidge rubbed her chin. “I am coming up on that time of month. I should pick those up too when we go later.”

He was fine with hearing about the female menstrual cycle. Lance always told her that knew he was going to get a girlfriend one day and would rather not be grossed out over something natural.

“Hey, can we talk after class?” Keith whispered to Allura, leaning forward so that he's pressed up against her and touching her ear. She turned around and nodded at him.

Whether or not Lance heard or chose to ignore it is a mystery to Pidge. She had a feeling that Allura told Keith, and now he's taking this as a warning.

It's the way that Keith works. He's done it before. He's scared of losing Allura to Lance. That, and he told Lotor about it who told Ezor who told the softball team in their group chat.

While the rest of the girls awed and cooed at it, Pidge knew that it was going to hurt Lance. She texted Veronica separately, and she promised to keep an eye on her brother in case Keith did make a move and Lance became aware.

“What are you gonna get at Walmart anyways?” Lance asked, voice slightly cracking. He rubbed a hand behind his neck and stared at her, refusing to turn around to look at Allura.

“I need to stalk up on socks,” Pidge made some stupid excuses sometimes. “Fluffy socks, I should say. It's kinda getting cold again and I'd rather my feet be okay then my wallet. Plus pads, since you reminded me.”

“Always there,” Lance flashed her smile as the bell rang. “Should I turn around?” He asked in a quiet voice so no one else would hear him.

Pidge shook her head as Keith put his hand on the small of Allura's back and led her outside. Shit, he _is_ going to make his move. Keith is going to fucking advance on her.

“Let's go,” Pidge stood up quickly and pulled Lance up with her. If she got him out of there fast enough, she would be able to keep him from seeing anything go down between the two .

But that didn't happen since Keith decided to make his move quickly.

By the time she got him outside, Keith had his lips connected with Allura's, holding her by the hip as she cupped his face. They were both smiling as they did this.

Everyone who came out of class started laughing and patting Keith on the back, congratulating him. They pulled apart laughing with this look on their face that said all.

It wasn't until Lance made a soft whimpering noise next to her that Pidge snapped out of it. She saw the way she watched them with a pained expression.

“Lance,” Pidge grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the scene. She saw Allura glance at him but the next second, her eyes were trained on Keith again. “Lance, wha-”

“What do I do?” Lance was crying now, his eyes low on the ground as people around them walked past. They paid no attention to their crying quarterback .

For once, Pidge didn't know what to tell her best friend. She's dealt with him liking girls and her liking guys and whatever. But, he's always sucked it up with whichever girl he liked at the moment. But, Allura's different.

She continued walking, past their table ignoring the confused look that Hunk gave, and didn't stop until they had reached her desired location of behind the gym.

The area was blocked off so it was always secluded, but it's an unspoken rule of the area that the first people there get the area until they leave and so on and so forth.

“Pidge?” Lance grabbed her shoulder when they stopped. He looked at her desperately, waiting for her to say something. “What am I supposed to do now?”

“There's not much,” Pidge said sadly. “Besides doing whatever you can to get over her.”

Which meant a rebound. Which meant that he was going to soon start getting with a boy or girl that probably doesn't mean much to him. Which meant that once again, Pidge was going to be cast aside.

“Pidge, I need to-” he didn't let himself finish what he was saying as he hugged her, crying into her shoulder. He let himself free as he let the tears go, saying Pidge's name over and over again.

And she was _pissed._

Okay, fine.

It's okay for Allura to like another guy. That's not of Pidge's business! She knows that no one can control who they like. But did the girl really have to lip lock outside the room?

Allura could've at least considered Lance and his feelings and told Keith that she wanted to talk in another location. Just like that, and no harsh punishment on Lance.

But _no._

And they stayed like that until Lance was ready, and Pidge no longer had the thought of murder on her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what else to say about this than sorry for everything being so fucking short 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	12. desert bluebell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walmart is for depression

Mom, Matt,” Pidge called out, tying her laces. “I’m going to Walmart and taking Lance with me.”

Colleen stuck her head in from the kitchen. “Got it.”

But Matt physically walked into the room. He narrowed his eyes at his sister and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been spending quite a lot of time with Lance lately.”

Pidge shook her head. “Yeah, only because he’s going through his midlife crisis or something like that right now. He’s been a sad Lance.”

“Hmm,” Matt waged a finger at her. “Fine, but if dad gets home from work before you then you better pick up your phone before I go to Walmart myself and get you.”

“Never said which one I was going to,” she smiled when Matt realized this. She quickly stood up from her spot on the floor, grabbed her mom’s car keys that were on the table in the living room, and raced out the door. “Bye!”

She laughed, yet her smile quickly died when she saw Lance’s car pull up to her house. She didn’t tell Lance to bring his car. Did she? No, she texted him that she would pick him up from his house five minutes ago.

“I know what you said,” Lance rolled down the window to his car. “But I’ve got my simp playlist on here. I gotta simp right now and you’re going to listen to me vent.”

Pidge already knew this. She was fine with being there for him. He needs her to be a friend right now. So what she has a crush on him? That’s not what he needs from her right now.

She climbed into the passenger seat. “Asshole, I was gonna toss you in shotgun so that I can speed over fifty miles, you grandma driver.”

It’s true. The way that Lance drives _bores_ her and has her rolling her eyes to the back of her head. Too many speed limits and rules and blinkers and whatever.

“Damn,” Lance took his car out of park and put it into drive. He shook his head. “I am so close to being done with love. Just a waste of my fucking time.”

Wait no.

No no no. He _can’t_ give up. Because then that would mean that he would give up on everyone, not only her. No boys or girls were going to have the male jewel of Garrison.

“It’s Allura, though,” she tried to think up everything in her head to make her not sound needy. “You don’t think all girls are like that, right?”

Lance shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. If I’m the quarterback and still can’t get a boy or girl then maybe I really am just wasting my time.”

Pidge shook her head and scoffed. “Come _on,_ Lance. There are _plenty_ of girls that would kill to have you. Even dudes. Hell, even I would date you. You know that people are lining up to have you.”

“Maybe,” he sighed and shook his head. “I can’t help but wonder that maybe if I had talked to her today, maybe things would be different.”

“You can’t dwell on the ‘what ifs’ and ‘I’ll never knows’. They’re going to tear you apart,” she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I needed something to get my foot in the door,” Lance didn’t even try to go for the yellow light, and instead let it turn green. “Her and Keith have plenty to talk about. I… throw a ball.”

“And she hits one with a waffle on a stick,” Pidge attempted to make him laugh when the light turned green. “When my brother went missing, Sendak told me that at least now we have something in common.”

Lance laughed as he remembered that. “Yeah, and I _still_ can’t believe that worked on you because you actually went out with him.”

“We did have stuff in common though!”

“His brother _actually_ rolled into his grave when it worked.”

They both laughed as Lance pulled into the Walmart parking lot. He parked his car in reverse, almost hitting the potted tree behind him. “My bad,” he apologized sheepishly.

This is good.

He’s laughing, or at least momentarily distracted. He’s not thinking about Allura by any means.

He’s definitely not hiding his feelings from her either. Lance is always allowed to be his truest around Pidge. There’s no need for him to hide the way he feels with her.

They got out the car, and he almost walked away without locking it. “Oopsie,” he told her as she gave him a stern look at his irresponsibility.

“I think that our best option would be to stop by the socks, get the pads, and then we could check out what movies they have so we could maybe watch one tonight.

Lance looked down sadly as they entered the store through the exit side of the door. “What if I could’ve had her in my arms as we watched Star Wars or something.”

Pidge cursed at herself. He was doing so good at the moment. Of _course_ the movies would remind him of Allura. “Hey, do you wanna throw caution to the wind?”

_Yes._

Pidge was ready twenty four seven to forgot all common sense and go on her toes to kiss Lance. She was ready to cup his face as he dragged his hand across her abdomen, toying with the bottom of her shirt-

“And do what?” He interrupted her thoughts. Good thing, too.

“Let us go forth on a journey across the whole damn store,” she narrated in a dramatic voice, hand movements going with each word. “To the electronics. We shall go on a side quest and play the Nintendo Switch they have on display.”

Lance laughed at her dramatization of a simple statement. “I am so going to beat you at Mario Kart right now that it’s not going to even be _funny.”_

“I dunno,” she shrugged. She usually beat him in their game nights, but still not getting first. “Growing up with Matt has definitely shaped me into a Mario Kart champion.”

“But when you’ve got a ruthless sister like Veronica,” he had a joking edge to his voice. “You learn how to beat a girl who will never purposely let you win.”

 _Fuck_ the fact that she’s got a crush on him. The day she lets him win at Mario Kart is going to be the day she officially has gone insane, if she hasn’t already by liking _Lance ._

Lance’s face screwed up into one of hurt. “I once played Mario Party with Allura. I tried letting her win by losing all the minigames, but Keith ended up getting all the bonus stars.”

“Hey,” if the littlest thing is going to make him think of Allura, then Pidge needs to do something to prevent that. “This is going to be our time. For you and me, okay?”

He cracked a smile at her. “Yeah, okay.”

It faded once they got to the electronics. Two random kids who looked fifteen tops were playing. The girl bumped her shoulder into the boy’s as she shot him a blue shell.

“Victoria, I am going to murder you,” the boy told her as she used this as her opportunity to surpass him in first place .

“Samuel killing me? In my PC?” She laughed as she crossed the finish line in first. “More likely than you think.”

Lance smiled at the two kids. “Let’s not cockblock. Little dude is about to make his move.”

This was very true as the boy grabbed her hand as he took the red controller away from her. “I think it’s even more likely if you’ll go out with me.”

“You’re asking me out in Walmart?”

Pidge turned away from the little teens. The girl had a Galra Basketball sweatshirt on, meaning that they are rivals. So she only silently paid respect for the boy.

They browsed the games as they waited for the system to become unoccupied. “Wow, little man has balls,” Lance whispered to her.

“So do you,” Pidge looked at him seriously. “It takes a lot to confess to your crush that you like her, and even still somehow never blaming her.”

Lance rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean I guess.”

“No ‘I guess’, dude,” she grabbed the hand behind his head and put it back at his side. “You’re freaking awesome for doing that. If she can’t see that then that’s her fault.”

“Even little man over there got a girl,” Lance cocked his head in the position of the two kids who started walking away from the Switch, smiling at each other. “Mad respect.”

“You can get pretty much anyone you want,” Pidge took Lance by the wrist to the console."

“But I don’t _want_ just anyone,” Lance sighed, picking up the blue controller. “I want her.”

It’s not any boy that Pidge wants. It’s Lance.

“I also want to win this game,” Lance stuck his tongue out at her.

Pidge knew that he was trying to change the subject. She would go back to this. But for now, she let herself enjoy the moment that they were in right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's two ammmmm
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	13. daylily

Pidge stepped up to the plate, bat in hand.

She turned to the left, and then to the right. She loves preseason games, but really isn't digging the look that Veronica was giving her from the dugout.

But the look of anticipation that Lance and Hunk are showing is totally one that she could get used to. Especially Lance's wide eyes as he watched her warm up her swing as the pitcher practiced herself.

“Hey,” the catcher whispered. “Your coach is seriously mad dogging those guys in the bleachers who are watching you. The one on the left is kinda cute, actually. Hmm.”

Pidge took a quick glance and saw that it was indeed Lance on the left of Hunk. And Veronica was totally eyeing him with this murderous look in her eyes.

“Quarterback. Loverboy. Varsity. Interested?” She asked as she noticed the pitcher start to get into her wind-up position. She put the bat over her shoulder. This was mainly a joke question, anyways.

“Yo, I'm Nadia,” the girl said louder. “And yes, as a matter of fact I could be interested.”

“What?” Pidge completely got distracted and swung the bat wildly, missing the first ball completely. She heard the ump call it a strike, as if he needed to. She’s a catcher, not a very good hitter.

“I ought to get you a damn piñata if you wanna swing the bat that crazy!” Veronica yelled from the dugout. “C'mon Pidge, let's turn our brains on and play.”

“Damn,” Nadia whispered behind her.

“I know,” Pidge rolled her eyes, but she knew that Veronica's right. She can't be swinging at wild pitches because of an off hand comment that the catcher from the other team said.

Pidge planted her feet into her stance, listening to the cheers coming from the people on the home side of the bleachers. She pretended not to hear Lance so she could focus.  

As the pitcher threw her pitch, Pidge saw it start to curve. It wasn't an intentional curve either, since the ball was going straight. It was going out of the strike zone, and she didn't swing.

Good thing, too.

The ball hit the edge of Nadia's glove and rolled behind her. “Shit,” said the catcher, looking backwards wildly.

Pidge took this as her chance to steal the base. She threw her bat and ran for her life as Nadia stood up in a panic, running to the ball that was already rolling to the foul line.

She was able to reach first base without having to slide. She put her hands up in victory as her teammates cheered from the dugout. Ezor stepped up to bat, clapping for her.

The buzz of adrenaline can be heard in her ears. She's always prepared to steal bases, and she'll never not be convinced that her base running is what got her on varsity in the first place.

“That guy is smiling at you,” the girl at first base told Pidge. “I can see it from here. Wave or something.”

Pidge glanced to the bleachers, thinking that Hunk was still excited. Hell, _she_ was still excited. But when she looked, she saw Lance on the edge of the bleacher he was sitting on, staring at her with wide eyes and a giant grin. 

“Dork,” she rolled her eyes and started her lead in case she can steal the base again. There's no way that the pitcher is gonna pick her off _now._

When she saw Allura and Keith show up, she wanted to warn Lance. To tell him not to turn to his right in the slightest or else his heart was going to break.

It makes sense for them to come. Keith iis still one of her friends, and Allura is at least close enough that they could go to each other's games. Hunk caught this and sat forward more so that he covered the two. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Ezor hit the ball into the outfield, allowing Pidge to run another base. She decided to fuck it since she had already pulled her weight with the base stealing and kept running to third.

If she got out now, then oh well. She at least did one good thing for her team.

The outfielder threw the ball to the third baseman. She jumped up to catch it, but ended up jumping too far up as the ball hit her arm and went behind her.

“Fuck my coach and her caution,” was the last thing that Pidge said before she took a step prep and started to run. She ran until she reached home plate.

Well, at least until she had to slide to avoid getting out. She put her foot out in front of her, touching the plate hopefully before Nadia caught the ball while her foot is on home plate.

Pidge looked at the ump in anticipation, awaiting his decision. He was a fairly young ump, too. Couldn't be older than twenty or twenty one. Pidge propped herself on her elbows, breathing heavily.

The ump angled his head and winked at her with the eye furthest from Nadia. “Safe!” He called, smiling at her with straight, white teeth.

Pidge blushed. “Oh, thanks,” she said as Nadia threw her catchers mask in frustration and putting her face in her hands. She called time, and the ump allowed it.

“You've got two more innings,” the ump told her as Nadia talked with the pitcher. “I was just wondering if maybe you would like to go with me after this somewhere.”

“Sorry, ump,” she turned her head because she could've sworn she heard Lance talking to the left of her. “We got plans after this.”

“Holt!” Veronica yelled from the dugout.

“Coach,” Pidge awkwardly pointed to her dugout. Lance nodded at her, even though she didn't know what that means. “Thanks for that safe, though.”

Pidge wanted to hit herself over the head with a bat as she ran back to the dugout. The umpire called the play safe, unknown to her if the call was safe or not.

Plus, what did Lance mean when he said that they had plans after? Because as far as she knew, they hadn't planned to do anything besides him drive her home.

“Holt, what happened there?” Veronica questioned as everyone went back to their position, Nadia being subbed out.

“The ump called the play safe, but winked at me as he did and asked me if I wanted to do anything with him later,” Pidge wanted to bury herself. This was _really_ embarrassing.

“Okay, so why the hell did Lance show up?” Veronica had her eyes narrowed at Zethrid batting, paying attention to her stance.

The other girls listened to her with great interest. “He told the guy that me and him had plans after that I wasn't aware of,” she shrugged, not knowing what Lance was talking about.

Everyone smirked at this. A couple of them looked away blushing. Dirty minds. The other girls just laughed at what this could mean, though she knows that they're twisting it out of its original context.

“At least you got something to look forward to at the end of the game,” Acxa commented.

So, two innings later when Garrison won three by two, Pidge was very impatient. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet as Veronica lectured them.

“You guys are dismissed. Shoo,” and with a wave of her hand, the girls scattered. Pidge pulled her cap so that her eyes were at least visible.

She's tiny. She herself is already not seen most of the time. She at least has to be able to see.

“There's the best softball player I know,” Lance said when he saw her. “Hunk had to leave, but he sends his wishes.”

“Whatcha got behind your back?” Pidge asked, noticing that he had both arms behind him. He is hiding something, and it doesn't take being able to read him like a book to figure it out.

But he surprised her when he brought out his hands with two popsicles from Lance's number one best ice cream place, La Michoacana.

“Yay,” she celebrated when Lance gave her the lemon flavored goodness.

“These ice creams are literally the plans I told that ump you had,” Lance made an _oops_ face. “Sorry if you actually wanted to go with him.”

Pidge shrugged, her bats clinging together in her bag when her shoulders moved. They began to walk to his car. “He seemed a bit older than me.”

“He did,” Lance also held out a bottle of water. “After all that running, you must be exhausted. Drink up and stay hydrated, fifteen.”

If only she could pour the water down her back, but her number fifteen jersey would probably not appreciate it.

“Thanks for coming,” Pidge said, drinking more water and attempting to lick her popsicle as it had started to melt from her neglect to care for it. Water is just too tempting.

“Let me take care of that,” Lance licked the side of the popsicle as Pidge still held the tip of it in her mouth. She wanted to scream when he pulled away, licking his own lips. “Wow, lemon _is_ good.”

Pidge could've sworn that her system malfunctioned. If it didn't then, it definitely did when he took the water from her hand and took a sip of it.

Lance gave her a shit eating grin.  “Sorry, did you want it back?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I give a single fuck that I got practice and school tomorrow even tho it's 2 am?? 
> 
> No. Not at all. 
> 
> Idk how accurate all the softball stuff is I'm a huge baseball fan but idk if anything is different. I love my girl playing softball okay 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	14. lupine

Okay, in Allura’s defense, she didn’t know .

She’s hanging out with Coron, Lotor, and Romelle during lunch. Keith was beside her with his hand in hers. He told her two days ago that he likes her, and she accepted him very open arms. And open lips.

When he pulled her outside after fifth period, he had panicked eyes. “I don’t want to lose you to Lance. Allura, I really like you. Please don’t slap me. I'll leave if you want me to.”

He began to walk away, but Allura kicked his shin to get his attention. “Hey dork, I like you too.” She wanted to say more, but fear of him walking away got the better of her.

Keith paused for a second before turning around and speed walking to her. He kissed her, and Allura responded immediately.

She heard the claps, and couldn’t help the smile that spread while still attached to his lips. She could hear the pats on his back and the congrats.

But when they pulled away, she saw Lance.

Lance was being dragged away by Pidge. He gave her  _ such  _ a heartbreaking look that she had to glance at him before focusing her attention back to Keith.

She had been doing that all day. Allura had been sneaking glances at Lance because she wanted to talk to him regarding his confession yesterday. He didn’t seem to want to talk.

So, when Lance was being pulled away, she decided that she would say something later. After all, it’s not her fault that he confessed to her in front of tennis so that they couldn’t talk privately.

That’s what her mind was preoccupied with when Keith started trying to get her attention again. “Hey, what’s happening?”

“Hmm?” She hummed.

“You seem a bit distracted,” Coran laughed at her. “Maybe when you said that Keith messes with your head had a more literal meaning to it than we thought at the time.”

Allura squeaked. “I said that before anything even happened the other day.”

Keith smiled and returned the comment. “Don’t worry, I used to say  _ way  _ cheesier stuff than I bet you said. And I know that’s a fact because Pidge would get all excited when I said anything about you, and only affectionate stuff gets that kind of reaction out of her.”

Allura rolled her eyes. “I bet if I went up to her right now that she would say that  _ I  _ said cuter stuff about you. There’s no way you out affectioned me.”

Lotor shook his head. “Do not go asking Pidge now, or she may finally snap.”

She looked at her friend confused. “What do you mean by that?”

Pidge was always happy. She laughs often and talks a lot and jokes around. Allura isn't very close to Pidge like the others, but that still doesn't mean that she doesn't know how she is.

But Lotor brushed off the question with a wave of his hand. “So, you guys started dating on November fifth, I guess?”

Keith nodded his head. “People may say that guys are bad at relationships and remembering stuff, but I wouldn't be bad at someone I actively pursued.”

Allura felt her heart melt. Here's a guy who's willing to do everything and anything for her. She made the right choice, and she can't possibly think of anything to make her regret this.

“You guys are gonna last,” Romelle clapped her hands. “You guys are going to last. I just know it.”

Lotor clicked his tongue. “I dunno. You should've seen the way that Keith stared at that Eggo in the morning when I went over. It was pretty intense.”

“You mean like the way that Pidge looks at Lance?” Keith said off handedly.

“What?” Allura questioned. She never noticed anything strange about Pidge looking at…

_ Oh wait. _

Just the way that Pidge would roll her eyes at him when he made a stupid joke. Or how she laughed when he would poke fun. Or even at her softball game yesterday when he handed her that ice cream when Allura and Keith wanted to congratulate her-

Keith laughed at her. “Heh, funny joke.”

But she continued to stare at him quizzically, though she thinks she figured it out. If it's what she's thinking right now, then she definitely didn't expect it, but isn't  _ that  _ surprised.

When Lotor say her confused face, his mouth turned into an O. “You really didn't know, did you?”

And Allura thinks back to all of the conversations that she's seen between Pidge and Lance. She even thought they were a couple when she met them this year! It took stumbling over words and red blushes to explain to her that they weren't dating.

But she could see when Lance looks away, Pidge turns her attention back to him. Even if for only a second, her eyes flicker back to him, a small smile spread on her face.

“Pidge likes Lance, doesn't she?” Allura asked.

Everyone nodded, even  _ Coran  _ who was always behind on what even happens in this school. Even freaking Coran knew before her! 

Is Lance even for  _ real?  _ He has an amazing girl. Pidge js incredible! And Lance hasn't even batted an eye in her direction because of Allura.  But she rejected him and got with one of his friends instead.

“So what you're saying is that even after I told Lance that I like Keith, he completely ignored Pidge and still confessed to me?” She just had to clarify.

Keith nodded. “Plus you got with me shortly after. Which meant that he went to Pidge about all of this. I'm surprised she's still your friend, if I'm honest.”

“Look, here she comes now,” Lotor pointed in a different direction.

Allura scoffed, thinking that he was telling a joke. She felt Keith's trip on her hand tighten. That's when she looked more to the side and noticed that Pidge actually was walking towards them.

“Ah, fuck,” she mumbled under her breath. Finding out that Lance likes her and ignored Pidge for her is certainly filled with gut wrenching  _ guilt. _

Pidge walked to her, in hand a packet. Oh, that's the biology homework. Why didn't she just ask Lance about that? It's not like Allura was paying much more attention.

“Mr. W said that you knew what number seven is on the homework tonight and wouldn't help me because he had places to be,” Pidge recited.

“That's weird,” Allura commented. “I saw Mr. Shirogane walk in his room.”

Coran walked away, feeling the tension. Lotor followed by example. Keith only released her hand but stayed by her side. He wasn't going anywhere, and she knew this.

“Deforestation isn't going away unless humans plant more trees,” she answered nervously. She felt like she had to be super nice or else she would be a bitch. “But, human overpopulation also plays a factor, since more humans equals more wood they cut down.”

Pidge nodded. “Ah, got it.”

Allura made finger guns at the girl. “So, is that all you need?” Please. Please, be all. Not that Allura didn't enjoy Pidge. But, she felt horrible just being around her.

“Should be,” Pidge double checked the homework. “Lance's dumbass couldn't figure it out. Speaking of Lance's dumbass…”

“Mm?” Allura faked the biggest smile she could to hide the guilt.

“I'm going to say it because he doesn't want to,” Pidge looked down.  “He doesn't want you to feel bad for chasing another guy. He's happy for you. Besides, remember that catcher from my game who messed up a couple times? They've been talking for like two days now. He should be good for a little bit.”

Oh, so that's why Pidge seemed upset. Because Lance was using a rebound. So it's not Allura. Okay, it's probably a little bit of her. But not that much.

“Well, that's good,” she glanced at Keith to see him hiding a smile behind one of his hands.

“Well, thanks for the help,” Pidge walked away.

Before Keith could say anything, she beat him to it. “In my defense, I didn't know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a succulent today 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	15. yarrow

“So, Nadia said that we could meet up after my practice since her school doesn’t have practice today,” Lance was locking and unlocking his phone.

“No wonder we beat them,” Pidge rolled her eyes. “Sooooo…”

Lance bumped her shoulder. “Sooooo…?” He knew what Pidge was trying to get at. It was just an impossible idea that he didn’t really wanna roll with.

“So is she the rebound or are you fucking around?” She asked.

He hates it when people call it ‘fucking around’ because that’s exactly what he’s doing. See, that’s the thing. Allura isn’t the kind of girl that anyone could get over by distracting themselves with another one.

“I don’t know,” Lance shrugged. He hasn’t decided if he should stick with Nadia or maybe that one guy in his theatre class that he’s been friends with for a little bit. Jeremy, yeah.

Pidge sighed, her shoulders slumping. She perked up a bit after a split second and smiled. “I gotta go to practice since your sister is making us. Unlike Nadia’s school.”

“Hmm,” he smiled. “Alright, I’ll see you later.”

She walked off, softball bat in hand and windbreaker slung over her shoulders. Her cleats made a hard noise against the cement that Lance listened to until he could no longer hear it.

“Yeah, I’m not going to practice,” he said to himself. He turned on his heel, backtracking where he was heading to. He walked away from the football turf and headed to the back parking lot. 

Nadia had told him that she could meet him by the tennis courts (oh yay) because it's easier access for her. What's easy for one girl is difficult for the boy. 

He passed by the courts with his hands in his pockets. He could turn slightly and see Allura practicing for her championship CIF game. God, how is she so good at tennis? 

It's not even like Lance is bad at sports. For goodness sake, he made freaking varsity his freshman year. He's been the star quarterback for over a year and yet still couldn't get a  _ tennis player  _ of all athletes. 

Okay, it makes sense if Lance were to be rejected by a cheerleader or maybe a softball player. It even makes sense if a volleyball player didn't like him back. But goddamn  _ tennis?  _

This is the part where he stops feeling sorry for himself and instead starts to feel angry. Angry at himself because he knew he had no chance and at Allura for… 

For who knows why. He just  _ is.  _

She didn't have to ignore him anyways. She could still be his friend even though she rejected him in front of all her teammates. He can deal with rejection. He just can't lose her. 

But it looks like he is.

There's lots of people that Lance doesn't want to lose. The number one girl is his mom, his grandma, and Veronica. Second is Pidge, and then Allura. Sorry, friendship comes first.

See, this is where Lance starts to go to shit. He starts skipping class and practice because of how hurt he is that he can’t focus in either of them anyways.

Allura turned around to wipe the sweat off her face with her shirt as her partner missed the ball. Her body’s so toned, it makes him want to scream. When she saw him, she put her shirt down and looked away.

What is she so afraid of? That Lance is gonna ask her out again? What is it about him that makes Allura turn away the  _ second  _ she catches even a glimpse of him.

Did Keith tell her not to talk to him? Because if Keith said anything so help him because he is actually going to say something and he doesn’t think he’d be able to control himself.

Lance saw a black Honda pull up to the parking space that he was standing in front of. He didn’t know if it was Nadia or not, so he made no effort to walk to it and instead leaned back into the tennis courts.

“Yo!” Nadia shouted as she got off her car. Her purplish hair was around her shoulders instead of in the ponytail like she was at the softball game.

“Hey,” Lance did his famous ‘varsity football quarterback’ smile at her. He knew that it made the girls and guys swoon. He knows this. He also knows that Allura occupied the court that he was leaning on.

“So, you wanna go?” Nadia pointed to her car, the lanyard containing her keys wrapped around her hand. She noticed it had the name of her school, Quantium.

This is wrong.

All he’s doing is fucking around with others while he waits for Allura, which is something that isn’t even going to happen. So what’s he doing?

Hurting others. And being hurt is the reasoning behind Lance’s motives. He’s not going to subject other people to the same amount of pain he’s feeling.

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” Lance sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m still getting over someone and I don’t want to hurt you like I was just hurt. I’m really really sorry for wasting your time.”

“Hmm,” Nadia crossed her arms. “My teammates warned me that boys from your school are assholes,” she shrugged. “Guess I should’ve listened.”

She walked away without even saying bye, which Lance admitted, he really did deserve that. He shouldn’t have been fucking around anyways.

“What the hell?” He hears behind him as a tennis ball hits the gate of where he was standing, right next to his head. He jumps and stands up straighter in surprise, turning around.

From the position of Allura’s arm tight in a fist right now and the way that she had a very pissed off look plastered on her face, he guessed that she threw the tennis ball to get his attention. 

Lance held out his arms to welcome whatever question she was going to ask. “Yes?”

“What the hell, dude?” Allura threw her tennis racket in anger and walked to the gate that separated the tennis courts and the regular ground. “What the hell was that, Lance?”

He looked at her confused. “What do you mea-”

She cut him off. “You know that I don't like you so why you would ever go and do something like that to someone else is beyond me. I can't believe you just did that.”

Lance almost laughed at her. She's not serious, right. “So you mean I can't take time for myself while I figure out what I want before trying to get into a relationship with anyone else?”

Allura rolled her eyes. “You know that's not what I mean-”

Wow, she's serious. She really means that. He isn't gonna let her finish before he explains himself. “I did it as politely as I can. At least if she tries to talk to me again I won't ignore her.”

“You think I don't want to talk to you?” Allura waved her hands around. “You're always with Pidge. I assume she's keeping you from talking to me like all friends do.”

“Why the everloving fuck would she do that?” Lance was for real. Why would Pidge keep them away from each other? What does Pidge even have to do with this? 

“I don't know,” Allura hit her own legs. “But if you're gonna act like that to other people then I'm giving up on being your friend  _ for good _ because I am not being responsible for this.”

Lance raised an eyebrow at her. He doesn't believe her. There's no way she can be serious. “Oh, I'll leave right now if you want me to,” he laughed and pointed in the opposite direction. “Tell me. I'll leave.”

When Allura hesitated, he chuckled. “Go ahead. Tell me to go. Tell me to walk away right now and I'll never bother you again. I can go the rest of senior year fine.”

It's not true, and Lance knew that Allura didn't buy it. She shook her head, and leaned against the tennis gate. It was the only barrier between them. 

“I need time and  _ you  _ need to give other people a chance,” Allura stood up, and walked away without a goodbye. She picked up her tennis racket in the process and went back to playing. 

Well, good thing that she told him off. Lance was so fucking heated right now that it might've been enough to get over her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact - after the guy i like (remember him??) told me he likes another girl, the girl got mad and told him off. i remember it being funny oops. this story is loosly based on that experience with that guy haha big oof
> 
> I'VE GOT A MONTH UNTIL NATIONALS GOTTA LET THEM JITTERS OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT
> 
> Follloow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	16. sweet pea

Pidge was shocked to say the least.

She didn't expect Lance to stop by her house when she was home from practice. Her mom shouted her name from the kitchen, “Pidge, you've got someone here for you.”

“Hmm?” She got off the comfort of her bed and put her laptop to the side as she had begun her episode of Arrow. She huffed and trudged herself to the door.

In all honesty, she was expecting Keith. She thought that he was here to ask her about Lance and/or Allura. She just thought that Keith was there to talk to her.

Nope. It's Pidge's best friend Lance, who didn't have a sweatshirt or hoodie on. Which is… Weird considering that he's  _ always  _ running cold at all times. He only had a black T-shirt on.

“Oh, it's Lance,” Matt walked into the room to see who was at the door. He slightly smirked at Pidge and walked out again. “Bye, Lance.”

Colleen stepped away from the doorway. “I gotta go cook. Your dad is gonna be home before ten so I need to have dinner ready,” she ushered herself out.

“What happened?” Pidge grabbed Lance by the arm and already started taking him to her room. “I can't believe that you've managed to mess up so much and it's only Thursday.”

Lance shrugged. “I guess that's the kind of horrible luck that I have.”

Ugh, of course. He always talked about his bad luck yet he always seemed to be amazing at football whenever the time came for it. Like tomorrow at the Friday Night Lights game.

“What the hell happened? Weren't you supposed to be with Nadia?” Pidge asked, pulling Lance into her room and closing the door behind them. They have thin walls in her house, they know nothing is happening.

“About that…” Lance rubbed the back of his head. “I didn't want to be hurting myself just because I didn't want to be rude. So…”

He began to mumble. Pidge pressed a hand up to her ear to emphasize her point. “Sorry, didn't catch that last part.”

“Ugh,” he groaned. “So I told her that I changed my mind and didn't want to do anything after all. I even apologized for it! But she called me an asshole and stormed off.”

Pidge was finally consciously aware of what she was wearing. She had taken a shower after practice, and was wearing her pajamas, aka Jedi's with santa hats and a tank top.

She rubbed her arm with one hand, trying to warm herself up. “Well, that's fine. It's only one girl. You'll find plenty more. What's got you so worried?”

Lance lied down on her bed. “Allura was there.”

That's all he needed to say for Pidge to rush over to him. She lied down next to him and rubbed his arm. She's aware that her shirt  is currently sliding down and the top of her bra is exposed, but this isn't about her or how cold she feels at the moment.

“What happened? Did you guys talk?” Pidge hugged one of his arms since she couldn't wrap herself around him.

“The first time we've talked since I told her that I liked her and she tells me off,” Lance sighed and covered his face with his free arm. “She even said she was going to give up on being my friend.”

Pidge shook her head. How can Allura say something like that? Why would she tell him off in the first place? It's not even like it's any of her business what Lance does or doesn't do with other girls.

“That's stupid,” Pidge threw her arms in the air, also lifting Lance's. “I don't understand what her motive is. Make you feel more like shit than you already do?”

Lance shrugged. “I really don't know, but I was in  _ such _ a fit of anger. I think I was able to dismiss most of my feelings for her out of pure rage in the spur of the moment. She even threw a tennis ball at me to get my attention.”

Okay, this should be a good thing.

He's over Allura! He says that he's so mad at her that he's done with her. This should be a good thing for Pidge. This should make her happy and want to jump for joy.

So why does she feel so  _ down? _

There's always that person that we lowkey want during high school. It could be all four years or the majority of one. Allura is going to be that girl for Lance here.

Being angry is a way to get over someone. It just doesn't feel  _ right.  _ It feels like Lance is trying to get over her and is making all the excuses that he can so that he can convince himself that's true.

Pidge knows. Pidge knows how her best friend works. She knows how he is and the coping mechanisms that he uses. She knows that this boy is like that and that's why this feels fake.

“You not saying anything is making me really nervous,” Lance chuckled a bit. “Can you please say something before I go into full panic mode and try to reverse everything I've done?”

“It's good that you're trying to get over her after she pissed you off,” Pidge admitted. “But, do you really think that your feelings are gone? Or is that what you want to feel?”

Lance stayed silent. Pidge shouldn't be steering him away from her. But she doesn't want a relationship based on feelings that he only convinced himself to have.

He shrugged after a bit. “I don't know. I'm really pissed off and I don't want to talk to her. Isn't that having no more romantic feelings for her?”

“It could be,” Pidge didn't really know how to respond to him. She didn't want her personal feelings to get in the way here. “It's how people act around their exes while getting over them.”

Or it could be how Pidge deals with her exes. She is one of those petty exes. But oh well. There's ways that her and Lance are alike, and their pettiness is one of those ways.

“For now, can we go with me having no feelings for her?” Lance sat up and pushed himself to face forward. “I want to play pretend if that's really what this is.”

Pidge sat up too, a little upset at the absence of warmth next to her. It's not like this tank top is the best thing at keeping her hot. The pants are great, though. Nice and soft.

“Want to play something?” Pidge hopped off of the bed and turned on the TV. She motioned to her Nintendo Switch like those models on infomercials.

“I'm interested,” Lance rubbed his chin and laughed at her. “Show me what you have.”

Oh, Pidge can show him way more than gaming consoles. She could feel the soft fabric of her Star Wars pajamas rubbing against her shaven legs. The cool air hit the top of her exposed chest-

Fuck teenage hormones.

“We've got quite the assortment here,” Pidge started talking in a chirpy voice to mock the commercials. “We've got the Nintendo Switch, the Wii, the Wii U that my brother hasn't noticed I took from his room, and of course, the Blu-ray player for movies.”

“Wow,” Lance jumped off the bed and marveled at the stack of games in the corner of the room. “That space money your dad makes is good.”

Pidge shrugged. “I just wish he were around more so we could spend it with him.” She sat down where she was standing.

It could be worse. Their are kids that don't even know both parents, like Lotor. She's lucky to have both in her life, even if one of them is always working.

Lance sat down next to her and wrapped both arms around her. He nuzzled his face into her shoulder which made her breathing hitch. What is he doing to her?

“Sorry for bringing it up,” Lance's breath on her shoulder made her glad she was standing up or else her knees would've been weak and she would've fallen. “I forget.”

Pidge shook her head. “Don't worry about it."

She wanted to stay like that for a while. God, how badly she wanted to stay in his arms with his face so close to her. It's amazing how much she liked their position right now.

But Lance pulled away after about five seconds. He got on his knees to look at the Switch games. He looked at all of them in careful consideration, humming to himself.

“I don't feel like losing any more friendships today so let's ignore Mario Party,” he said bitterly.

It wasn't aimed towards her. Pidge knew he didn't mean it to hurt her, but rather Allura who isn't here. But, Pidge did still feel his words deep in her veins.

“Smash?” Pidge suggested. “I still haven't completed story mode.”

Lance smiled at her and took the game out of the stack. “You're the best.”

She grabbed her phone from beside the abandoned laptop from earlier. The time told her that it's currently eight forty three, and her alarm for school was set to go off in ten hours and eighteen minutes.

Lance has a game tomorrow that Pidge was most definitely going to. But did either of them give a care in the world as they turned on the Switch and inserted the Ultimate Game into the console?

No.

No, they did not. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuck guys cheer is taking up my life we got Nationals coming up and just holy fuck y'all idk how I ever got the time to finish this 
> 
> Follow my Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	17. gerbera daisy

Pidge is very grateful that Lance had weightroom on Friday.

He went home at around ten thirty after Colleen announced that Sam was home from work. But, nothing stopped Lance from facetiming her until three in the morning.

That's why when Pidge woke up three hours after that for school, she was absolutely exhausted. Veronica has class on Friday so luckily she didn't have practice. But, Lance not only had a football game that day, he had weightroom before.

Poor dude probably died, since Pidge slept in the library for seventh period due to having no practice. At the game with Hunk and Lotor, she was still absolutely dead.

“You're yawning too much,” Lotor poked her. “I think you should start getting more than five hours of sleep every night.”

“It's not my fault,” Pidge shrugged. She didn't have to pick up his call when he facetimed her. But she still did as was about to fall asleep during his game.

“The dude is probably about to pass out,” Hunk motioned to the field.

It's defense right now, and since Lance is the quarterback who plays during offense, he's leaning on Keith's shoulder, who's a runningback and also plays during offense.

“I'm glad that they're still friends,” Lotor admitted to the other two. “I would've thought that with how much Lance loves Allura that he would hold a grudge against Keith for it.”

Pidge rubbed her arm and stared off into the game. She saw the various players running to push the other team back. She didn't want to focus on how obvious it was that Lance liked another girl.

Hunk muttered something to the other boy. Lotor gasped. “I am so sorry, I forgot.”

She stared at him in confusion. “Sorry for what?”

Lotor blinked at her as if he were confused as well. “Sorry for bringing up another girl. I forgot that you like Lance.”

Panic spread through her. There's no way that Lotor knew. Lotor can't know that she likes Lance because if Lotor knew then how many other people also knew about her crush?

So Pidge had to play dumb. “What do you mean? I don't have a crush on Lance. What? Why would I like Lance? That's my best friend there. Nah, I wouldn't like Lance. Pfft, that's dumb.”

Lotor only stared at her, and that's all the confirmation she needed to know that he hadn't bought her excusing. Even Hunk, another one of her good friends, shook his head.  

What does Hunk know? She hadn't even told him. She didn't tell anyone outside of softball so she could keep it lowkey. Keeping it as secret as possible was better so Lance doesn't know!

Hunk patted her shoulder. “If it helps, Lance is a giant idiot who can't pick up clues. Yeah, he may flirt a lot, but when it comes to people close to him, he can't keep up."

Pidge shook her head. “That's not even what I'm worried about. It's more like…” She couldn't think properly right now. “If you guys know without my telling, then who the hell else knows?”

This is her thinking of the worst case scenarios and believing that somehow it had gotten to Allura and to get back at Lance, she told him that Pidge likes him so their friendship is abandoned-

“Basically anyone who's ever been around you two for at least two minutes,” Hunk inhaled a deep breath. “The way that you look at him is enough evidence that you love him.”

“Too bad  _ his  _ looks are always towards a drop dead gorgeous tennis player,” Pidge's face dropped. She was so happy dying of sleep deprivation at the game and then someone has to bring up Lance.

Hunk shrugged. “Maybe. Look, there comes that tennis player right now.”

Pidge's head whipped around so fast that she could've gotten whiplash. She saw Allura with Romelle and Coran. They were climbing the bleachers to find a good spot.

They sat about ten feet away from where Pidge was sitting. She unconsciously scooted towards Hunk, popping his bubble and invading all personal space.

“Pidge, you good?” Lotor asked, eyeing her with a look of concern. He kept glancing over to Allura. “She keeps taking quick peeps over here at us. Any idea why?”

Hunk raised his hand, but Pidge smacked it down. “Whatever reasoning you have for it, I don't want to hear it. I'm fine with her looking at me. No I'm not. I wanna cry.”

The scoreboard read that there was still two minutes left in the second quarter as long as no one from the other school had an incomplete pass. Halftime is coming up.

Lance was prepping himself up. She could see it from the bleachers. He was jumping up and down hitting Keith lazily in the shoulder. Who knows what he's telling his poor teammate.

“Pidge?” Hunk questioned. She was practically on him, wanting to be as far from Allura as she could. Hunk put a comforting arm around her.

It's not even that Allura did anything. Okay, so maybe Pidge is pissed at what she told Lance because of what he said to Nadia. But, it's what he needed in order to begin attempting to get over Allura.

But still. Pidge has no real reasoning as to why she didn't want anything to do with Allura or her friends as they laughed loudly at something that Romelle had said.

Do Allura and her friends always talk this loud? Or is it that Pidge is only very aware at everything they were doing right now and paid close attention to all?

Allura's voice ringed in her ears as she continued to hold a normal conversation with her friends while subtly searching the football field for Keith. Pidge always knows where he's at since he's usually with Lance.

Halftime. At halftime she needs to find Lance just to make sure that all hope is not lost and that there's even a small chance of her having him and that he could still be hers and-

Her thoughts were abandoned as the buzzer went off, signaling that the second quarter was over and that the first half was done. Pidge jumped out of her seat on the bleachers.

“Where are you going?” Hunk stood up too, worry plastered all over his face.

“Do you want us to come with you?” Lotor put his hands on the broad shoulders of Hunk as he started to stand up.

“I need to find Lance,” she put her arms out so that they don't follow her. “I'll be back by the time halftime is over.”

With that, she ran.

Pidge started running and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away, embarrassed that she was actually crying. It's such a stupid reason to cry.

Wow, Allura sat next to her. What a reason to cry. It's also Hunk and Lotor telling her that her crush on Lance is obvious is also making her panic and oh god where's Lance?

She found Keith before Lance. She ran to the edge of the football field and shouted his name, “Keith!”

She waved her arms around like a crazy person to get his attention. It only took her yelling three times for him to notice her. He patted whoever he was talking to and ran over to her.

“What's up, Pidge?” Keith asked her. He noticed her and did a once over. “Holy crap, are you high? Your eyes are all red-”

“No!” Pidge shouted too loud. Great, he probably does think she's high now. “No, um, have you seen Lance? I can't find him.”

Keith nodded. “Oh, yeah. I've definitely seen Lance. Did you want me to-”

“Can you bring him over here?” She didn't let him finish before she interrupted him. “Please?”

“I've got you,” Keith did finger guns and a smile before turning around and jogging back to his teammates on the field. For someone whose team is winning twenty one-twelve, he's acting very appropriate.

She saw number fifty-four begin to run towards her. She let out a sigh of relief that made a tear fall down. She quickly wiped it away before he could see her crying and question her furthermore.

“You good?” Lance asked when he finally got to her. “Keith said that you were looking for-”

He didn't finish whatever he was saying as Pidge brought him in for a hug. She needed reassurance that he didn't magically disappear from her. That he's still here.

It took around three seconds for Lance to respond and hug her back. He had to kind of slump down since Pidge had both arms around his waist. He had two around her neck.

“What happened?” Lance whispered in her ear after not even a minute.

But Pidge didn't respond. She shook her head to let him know that she didn't want to talk right now. She couldn't  _ stand  _ the thought of losing him to someone else.

What would she do when one day she doesn't have his arms around her?

“If you're not gonna tell me right now,” Lance sighed. “Then do I at least get to ask why later?”

Pidge sniffed. “Maybe one day.”

When he heard her sniff, he pulled away and looked at her face. He studied her before sighing and shaking his head. “Were you crying right now? Without me there to help you?”

Great. The last thing that Pidge wanted to do was make him feel guilty for playing football. It's just a little sadness that would go away right now.

“Hunk and Lotor were with me,” Pidge wiped at her dry eyes to emphasize her point that she's okay. “I'mma go with them right now. Sorry, go back to throwing your balls.”

Lance grabbed her arm before he could even turn her heel. “You're going to tell me right now what's wrong and I'll let you distract me from theatre for a day.”

Theatre is probably the one class where Lance doesn't really talk to anyone because he's trying to be a teacher's pet. He's letting her distract him? He doesn't care that bad.

Then again, it's just her pining thoughts saying that.

“Lotor made an offhand comment about something,” Pidge waved her hand around. “It's really not a big deal and it was stupid for me to get so upset over it.”

“If it's so stupid then tell me.”

Damn Lance and his ability to twist her words to get her to admit something. If he ever finds out she likes him, that's going to be the worse word twisting conversation ever.

“It was a dumb comment about pansexuals,” she laughed it off, knowing that Lance always laughs at jokes like these. Especially Lotor's jokes, since they're always more funny than offensive.

Lance raised an eyebrow at her as if to challenge. “Is that the only thing?”

Pidge nodded too quickly. “It is for sure the only thing bothering me.”

“Mm,” Lance nodded. “Got it.”

He knew.

She knew that he knew that it's not the only thing. But, he shrugged his shoulders and hugged her one last time. “I gotta go back and meet the guys. Hope you feel better.”

Pidge didn't even hug back because she was stunned at how chill he was acting. When he pulled away, he gave her a soft, maybe even sad, smile before jogging away.

“You stupid fuck pieces of shit boys," she silently cursed to herself as she watched him high five the other guys. She began her walk back to the bleachers, unaware of the conversation between the football players about her.

“So, a softball player?” The guy they nicknamed Bi-Boh-Bi teased. “We knew that tennis wasn't a good match. Now, green over there, nice one.”

See, the reason they called him Bi-Boh-Bi is because of his ability to not talk in proper sentences and gives everyone nicknames.

Lance ignored his comment. Bi-Boh-Bi always said something so that he could get over ‘Tennis' faster. It never worked, and besides, it's  _ Pidge  _ of all people.

That's his best friend!

It wasn't until his coach said something that he couldn't ignore it, “That your girlfriend?”

He groaned and buried his face in his helmet. “No, coach! That's not my girlfriend! That's my best friend, Pidge!”

Lance pretended not to hear Keith whispering to coach, “I bet you one day off of weightroom that they get together by the end of the season.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally wrote this during class
> 
> Blame sports for my lack of update.


	18. blue false indigo

~~~~Lance held up to his end of the deal when they got back to school on Monday.

The test is biology was absolutely agonizing, and settled for a B. He would survive being an average student. He wouldn't survive if he got kicked off of football for grades, though.

“Hey,” Pidge poked his arm as they walked into theatre. “Hey, Lance. Remember what you told me I could do at the game on Friday?”

Lance sighed loudly to let her know that he did in fact remember. “Yeah, I know. I gotta let you annoy the shit out of me today during this fine period.”

“I know,” Pidge smiled sweetly at him. “I already bugged you about this enough throughout lunch and a little during fifth, but I'm just really excited to finally get this opportunity.”

He laughed at how happy she is to get the chance to distract Lance from the one class he tries his hardest to concentrate in. He could feel the vibe of happiness coming off of her.

“You are such a little shit,” Lance shook his head as they took a seat on the floor. Yeah, their theatre class had no tables or chairs because Mr. Shirogane says that it's a ‘distraction from learning the art'.

“And why is that?” Pidge didn't even deny it. She knew exactly why he wanted to get up and run, and why it was because of her.

“Because you little shit is  _ happy  _ that my education is being stripped away,” Lance bumped her shoulder with his as the bell rang, signaling sixth period has begun.

“Alright,” Mr. Shirogane clapped his hands together. “We're doing an improv activity for today and tomorrow that's called First Line Last Line.”

“Your last line,” Pidge poked Lance in the arm. “Is, I Shouldn't Have Made Pidge Tell Me What's Wrong Because I Wouldn't Be In This Situation.”

He groaned on the inside of his mind. He didn't want to admit how much he was already regretting this because it'd only get her fired up even more. Why did he do this again?

Oh, yeah. Because he's a good friend and doesn't let his friends quietly suffer by themselves. He did get it out of her, and Pidge did have a small smile when he got done interrogating her.

“The first line of the scene  _ has  _ to be You Forfeit Everything To Elmo. The scene has to end with the line Tomorrow I Die. There's no script, so it's improv, but you still get to discuss your plot with a partner of your choosing,” Mr. Shirogane explained. “Now, go.”

“You forfeited everything to me by giving me rights to your privacy,” Pidge grinned at him happily. “So, tell me partner. What happened with you over the weekend?”

Lance stared at her before realizing that her question wasn't serious. He was with her for majority of it, trying to actually get over Allura any way he could.

That meant that Pidge dragged him to the mall, the movies, Target, and other places where high school students their age would be. It worked, too. Multiple people came up to him to flirt.

Well, girls, mainly. Boys never went up to him first. Maybe it's the football sweatshirt that made everyone assume that he's straight. Ha! As if Lance would ever be straight.

“Very enjoyable,” he told her. “I spent most of it with this one girl. I love her and all, but she's really annoying. Like right now, she's torturing me at the moment.”

Pidge looked away for a second before turning back to him. “You subjected yourself to this punishment when you said that I could distract you from your theatre work.”

“Well excuse me for trying to be a teacher's pet,” he whispered a little quieter.

It is true. Lance needed letters of recommendation pretty soon once college came around. Especially because he's planning on continuing playing football.

Mr. Shirogane is a perfect candidate for his letters. Former highly respected football player who even served some time for a little bit? Yeah, of course Lance made buddy buddy with his theater teacher.

“Teacher's pet? You're pretty much Mr. Shirogane's bitch at times,” Pidge sat criss cross in front of him.

“ _ You're  _ gonna be my bitch pretty soon if you don't shut up,” Lance threatened. “Wait, you already are. I could basically annihilate you at any game.”

Pidge laughed a little loudly. She immediately shut up after seeing a glare from another group come her way. She moved her hair into her face to hide the laughing.

Lance laughed along with her, not knowing what was funny, except he was able to hide it into the sleeve of his letterman jacket. Yes, he's literally always wearing it and almost never takes it off. Yes, he washes it. Sunday every night,  _ mom. _

“Damn you and your ability to hide in your jacket,” Pidge shook her head as she attempted to keep her laughter in. “It was just funny that you thought you could beat me at video games.”

Lance scoffed at her, but found his words jumbled up in his throat as he took a good look at Pidge.

She wasn't even doing anything except sitting criss cross in front of him and laughing. It's the way she smiled, not exactly a perfect smile, but it made Lance want to smile with her.

So he stopped talking and smiled at her.

He never noticed the way her hair falls into her face. Had it always done that? Allura's hair always looked nice, but it never fell into her face the way that it did with Pidge's.

Lance didn't even notice when he reached out and touched her hair. He only realized when Pidge made a noise that he pulled his hand back to admire her.

“Is this your natural hair color?” He asked, staring her down. He saw the look in her eyes that resembled one of confusion and something else that he couldn't quite pinpoint.

It's like a puzzle.

The little pieces of Pidge was a mystery to him, especially lately. She seemed to want to spend time with him, but in school, it felt like she tried avoiding him.

It's probably only Lance being Lance and his usual worry self, but he hated to think that he's a burden to her. Mainly because she seems to always be there for him.

Pidge didn't even answer his question. She only looked away, lightly touching the tips of her hair. Her face seemed to flush the same color as the curtains of the stage in the theater room.

Wait, they're in theatre. Good topic to talk about now. “Hey, we should start our assignment,” Lance attempted to change the subject before anything could get too weird.

“I've still got a full period of being able to keep you from doing work,” Pidge looked back at him and rolled her eyes. “Don't act like I don't see what you're doing. Trying to make me forget.”

He put his hands up like a person arrested. He even out them behind his head. “You caught me. I'm really trying to get you to show me mercy so that this can be done and dealt with.”

“You are pushing it,” Pidge wagged a finger at him. “I will press you. I will fight you and when asked why I did it when suspended I'll tell them that the bitch pressed me.”

Lance put his leg up and lightly kicked her. He tried to have a comeback ready but her eyes blew open wide. She talked before he could, “That's illegal, you know.”

He shrugged. “Guess I'll have my whole football career ruined because you told the school that I barely even tapped you with my foot.”

“Well,” Pidge had already begun her defense. “When you're a five foot gnome, anything is too hard when it comes from a six foot giant.”

“I forfeit everything to Elmo,” he tried to bring it all back to their improv assignment.

But she caught this and rolled her eyes. “I know what you're doing.”

Yeah, but does Lance know what he's doing? Does  _ he  _ even know what he wants at this point? It's not Allura, that's definitely for sure. So that crosses off the entire varsity tennis team.

Lance has his puzzle laid out for him. He just doesn't know how to fit the pieces together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been slacking but I went to Sacramento this weekend for cheer and my ex is batshit crazy so I had to deal with that but here I am for Lance in denial
> 
> Tumblr - soleaa
> 
> :)


	19. hellebores

Lance is very… confused to say the least.

He knew he had to get back into the game at some point. Pidge told him that he should maybe wait a bit, but he feels like he should get back into something soon.

It’s not even like this is the first time he’s been rejected. While it’s definitely not a common occurrence for Lance, it’s not like it hasn’t happened before.

Allura doesn’t really mean anything romantic to him anymore. She told him that she’s ready to drop him, so why would he stay caught up on someone like that?

A situation where he’s done this before would be back in ninth grade when a cheerleader told him that she straight up likes another guy. In front of her team. Right before their game.

Let’s just say that coach wasn’t exactly happy about the way he played that game.

The game is something that Lance wants to get back into. He’s ready, he’s moved on from Allura. It may have been out of pure spite, but he still moved on.

So what’s holding him back?

Pidge patted his arm as he sat in front of her in biology. “Do you have an extra pen? Mine just ran out of ink. Shame, I’ve been with this pen since the beginning of this year.”

Barley paying her any attention so he could get back to his thoughts, he gave her the pencil that he had been writing with just now. His worksheet about the carbon cycle can wait.

“Lance?” She tapped his arm again as he turned back around. “Sorry, but the pencil isn’t going to work. Paper’s gonna be in two different colors and I don’t want Mr. W to mark me down because he thinks I revised it.”

Lance gave her his eraser.

He wasn’t paying attention, bad as that may sound. All he could think of at the moment is that there’s something, and he doesn’t even know what.

This time, he has the puzzle pieces together. He knows that the pieces are all Allura and the hurtful words that she said to him.

But instead of putting the puzzle together, he took the pieces and discarded them. The picture was too confusing and difficult, plus he got angry when the pieces didn’t fit together.

For example, one of the pieces went with his friend and Lance didn’t fit anywhere else.

Now, there’s another piece that he has no idea where it goes. He doesn’t even  _ know  _ what the piece is. It’s just there, and can’t figure out what to do with this extra piece.

What even is this extra piece of his complicated puzzle that seems to have no picture at the end?

“Lance?” Pidge asked, looking at him concerned. “Lance, what’s going on? You’re like super distracted right now. Anything-”

He put his hand up to cut her off. He sighed and leaned back in his seat since he’s the one who sits in front of her. He noticed Allura sent a glance his way before continuing her conversation with Keith.

“I know that I said that I’m ready again,” Lance said. “But, looking over it again, I don’t know how completely truthful I am when I say that I’m ready.”

Pidge shook her head. “Dude, this all happened  _ last week.  _ Even if you try to convince yourself that you’re done with her, you gotta take time off.” She talked quieter since Keith and Allura were next to them.

“It’s not even that,” Lance also spoke in a hushed voice. “I don’t know how to explain it without sounding stupid or something.”

“You only sound stupid to me when you say something academically dumb,” she smiled at him sweetly. “You will never sound stupid to me when talking about your feelings.”

Lance is forever grateful that he has someone in his life as amazing as his best friend. If only all girls that he dated or wanted to date were like Pidge.

“I feel like there’s something holding me back,” he didn’t let her talk as she opened her mouth to say something. “It’s not Allura either. It’s something else but I can’t pinpoint what it is.”

She hummed to herself while she stole glances at Keith and Allura, who decided to relocate to one of the lab tables. They probably knew what they were talking about.

“You haven’t talked to her since she went off,” Pidge rolled her eyes. “Still don’t understand why she did that. But, she also hasn’t made any more attempts to talk to you. Are you unconsciously trying to talk to her?”

Lance thought back to second period with Allura. He sure is damn happy that he isn’t trying to talk to her. But, could he be trying to and he doesn’t even know it?

He blew air out and shook his head. He hasn't tapped her shoulder, asked her for a pencil, absolutely nada. There's nothing that hints that he's trying to talk with her again from his prospective.

“Hmm,” Pidge bounced her leg up and down as she thought. “I'm thinking that there's something that doesn't have to do with Allura that maybe you don't even know.”

What is it, though?

There's nothing that Lance could think of that could be keeping him from getting back into dating and flirting like he always does. What can be stopping him?

Pidge bit her lip to think; it's one of the habits that he picked up from her. Seeing her do it felt different this time. It's not necessarily a bad different, though.

“I can't think of anything. There's nothing in my life right now preventing me from doing anything, but I just can't,” Lance explained, throwing his hands out in front of him.

“Why is it that you feel like you can't?”

“Because I feel guilty everytime I think about doing this all over again,” Lance grumbled, sinking in his chair. “Like I'll hurt someone the way she hurt me.”

Plus something else, but that's something entirely different that he can't explain.

Pidge shrugged and grabbed his arm to put him back into proper sitting position. “I think what you have to do is talk to her and/or Keith, and you'd probably end up feeling better.”

Lance doesn't want to talk to Allura, though. She had pissed him off. He knows that he needs to in order to figure out what confusing thing is happening, but it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't want to.

“I think I'll do that,” when he saw the satisfied look on her face, he quickly crushed it. “At some point in the next fifty years.”

“Hmph,” Pidge groaned. She quickly put a serious expression on. “You have to feel better because I hate seeing you sad. I only ever want what's best for you. Trust me when I say that I will never say anything to hurt you.”

God, why can't everyone else be as amable and amazing as Pidge? Why can't everyone else in his life have no intentions of hurting him?

His letterman jacket stood up a bit on his collar, which he didn't notice. Pidge saw, apparently, and reached forward to fix and flatten the collar on the jacket.

When her small fingers touched his neck, he inhaled a shaky breath. He's very ticklish everywhere on his body, and her having a hand against his neck is not helping.

They stayed like that for a second, her arms around his neck with Lance only staring at her as he tried to suppress his laughter. She was looking at him intently, but he assumed she was trying to see where else the collar needed to be fixed.

Pidge pulled her hands away so fast that the ring she had on the index finger on her left hand scratched at his neck, his stubble feeling most of the damage.

“You hit my beard with your ring!” Lance complained loudly. “You are so going to get it now, Pidgeon.”

“Pidgeon can't come to the phone right now,” she held up a makeshift phone she made with her hand. “She is going to be fucking murdered in like two point seven seconds.”

As the bell rang, she hopped out of her seat as soon as Mr. W dismissed the class. Lance tried to follow her, his puzzle picture still not any more clear than it was at the beginning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look I updated


	20. zinnia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated twice do make sure you read chapter nineteen

“Hey, Lancey,” Lotor took off his baseball cap and wiped away his sweat from the baseball practice he just had. “How's it going? Haven't asked in a while.”

Lance shrugged, which was the easiest way to convey how he was feeling. “Dunno. With Allura confusing me and other issues too, I really can't describe the way that I've been.”

Lotor nodded, noting that Lance had a bag around him. “What's that?”

“To hide the body.”

At Lotor's excited eyes, Lance thought it'd probably be best to tell the dude that it's not a real body. Lotor probably shouldn't be so excited about a body bag… 

“Nah, I'm fucking with you,” Lance shook his head, ruffling Lotor's hair as if he were a little kid. “It's what I use to keep my letterman jacket in while we practice.”

“Ahh,” but Lance pretended not to see Lotor's obvious disappointment. “So, how are you and Keith? Have you two been getting along fine?”

Lance thought for a bit before answering, “I mean, I would say so. I'm not going to leave my teammate for a girl. Bros before hoes, always. I wish Keith would've thought the same for me, but I'm fine with him.”

Okay, that was laced with extreme bitterness. He's serious when he says that he wishes that Keith would've put his buddy before any girl like Lance had always done for him. 

While Lance may have not given up Allura with the chance, he still would've backed down if Keith had gotten rejected by the girl. It's the best thing to do, especially if it had been Lance the guy who Allura rejected Keith for. 

“Any other girls?” Lotor asked. “Or guys. Sorry, I forget.”

Lance thought. He's got a type, definitely. Smart, light hair, full of personality, athletic, and beautiful eyes. 

Let's see, who in Lance's life right now is super smart, has light colored hair, a quirky person, does a sport, and absolutely gorgeous eyes that he could stare in for at least eternity. 

Allura is smart. She's in AP English, for one. Two, her white hair is gorgeous and even looks like Lotor's. Third, she plays tennis. She's on varsity. Her personally is one of the best he's ever met. Plus, her eyes… 

Who else is like that besides Pidge-

“No no no,” Lance answered way too quickly and panicky to Lotor. “Definitely no one else that I could think of right now. Yeah, nope. There's no one else. Nopity nope, that ain't dope.”

Lotor simply stared at him. “There's no one else that has light hair, perhaps red or something? What about someone who can hack? What about someone who plays the female version of my sport?”

Damn, does everyone know his type? “Nah,” Lance shook his head. “I'm not kidding when I say it took a five minute conversation for me to be so pissed off that I get over her.”

“Wow,” the baseball player clicked his tongue. “If that's the case, then are you really over her?”

Lance thought back to what Pidge had told him about how he's only convincing himself that he's over Allura. But what if there's something else that made him get over her? Maybe someone else. 

But, that's impossible. He can't think of anyone else that could take his mind off of Allura. There can't be anyone else, right? Not some subconscious thing in his mind telling him that he likes someone else? 

That's crazy. There's no possible way that he could like someone else so quickly. Besides, if he even really was into anyone else, it shouldn't be this hard to pinpoint who. 

“Pidge told me the same thing,” Lance said. “But I dunno. I want to think I'm over her, and I think that I really am, there's just no telling for sure what I think.”

Lotor grinned mischievously. “Well, I could always set you up with any softball players. They all adore me for being the nicest baseball player in the school.”

“Softball players?” Lance made a mental list of all of the girls before carefully considering all of them. He doesn't see any that really match up with him or the way he is. 

Except his best friend. 

But that's… Crazy. There's no way that his best friend would ever like him anyways. He needs to go after someone who actually likes him and isn't crushing just because he can throw a two pound ball around. 

“Well…?” Lotor waited for an answer. He put his cap back onto his head. “Because if not then I'd gladly take any softball players off of your hands.”

“Isn't there that one cheerleader who's into you?” Lance teased. The girl, (what's her name?) and Lotor very obviously had a thing for each other, no matter how much he denies it. 

“At some point, I was into Allura,” Lotor admitted, chuckling. “But, I decided that she didn't deserve someone with a reputation as a baseball player.”

“But you're one of the nicest people that I know,” Lance protested. They had finally reached the back of the school where they would be parting soon. “There's no way that anyone wouldn't deserve someone like you.”

Lotor chuckled, his hat moving slightly as he smiled. “Maybe, but still. It looks like neither of us really ended up with her in the end anyways so it doesn't matter.”

There was silence as they both thought about the end result. Well, at least Lance did. More so, he started thinking about where he was going to go now.  

Now that Allura is a ‘been there done that' thing, or at least he's telling himself she is, he can't help but wonder where the hell he's supposed to go from here. 

It's not like he's exactly rushing to get back into dating. He said it himself that he feels like he can't, yet, he doesn't even know what it is that's holding him back from something that he needs to do. 

“Did you ever feel like something was keeping you from dating again after something went wrong with a crush or relationship?” Lance asked. 

“The person with whom I was in said relationship with and/or crushing on,” Lotor nodded, agreeing to this statement himself. 

“No,” Lance waved his arms around to let the other boy know what he was thinking. “I mean something that isn't the person that you had a crush on.”

Lotor thought for a bit- was he smiling? “I would say that even if you don't realize that you're doing it, your subconsciously clinging onto someone else.”

“But… Allura…” Lance rubbed his face onto his letterman jacket sleeve. “I don't want to like her anymore and I really don't think she's that someone, if that's even the case.”

“I'd say that's the case,” Lotor turned to face Lance with a serious look on his face. “The real question is whether or not you think you believe that there's someone else out there for you that isn't Allura.”

With saying that, Lotor did a two fingered salute to signal goodbye, and turned to leave. Lance watched as the baseball played hauled all of his stuff into his car and drove off. 

But Lance can't believe it. 

Yeah, he could believe that there's always other people out there for him. But is this whole mess just some subconscious desire for him to get with someone else? 

Not even that, but was Allura herself not even the girl that Lance is thinking about? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look I updated again 
> 
> And that ain't no joke


	21. flax

Pidge hates it when she's losing at Mario Kart.

She was turning her blue controller like crazy, even moving her whole body in the direction of the sharp turns. It didn't help as she was still in third place.

Lance was having the time of his life winning in first by playing as Waluigi. She decided that the reason she's losing is because of the fact that she's playing as Shy Guy.

Even freaking  _ Koopa Troopa  _ was beating her in second. The damn  _ computer  _ was somehow managing to take her hard earned second place and rob her.

“Cheat code,” Pidge yelled out as she attempted to get a mushroom out of the mystery boxes, but only ended up getting a coin. A  _ coin.  _ If only she could get a blue shell. 

“Pidgeon, I'm just that good.” Lance shook his head, concentrating on the game. It's lap three where the music speeds up, and it was getting all panicky and her heart was even beating fast.

“Fuck you I win,” Pidge started to toss her upper body onto his lap, hoping that the shock would surprise him.

She tried to ignore the beating in her chest rapidly increase since most of her body is on his right now. She could hear his chuckle which sounded? Nervous? In a way?

“Can't distract me,” Lance, without taking his hands off of the controller, pushed her onto her back as he pinned her legs down with his own.

Pidge stopped everything she was doing and went into autopilot. Her mind told her to not worry about how his legs were pinning down her thighs.

She only looked up at him. Her arms were completely free, so if she really wanted to, she could push him off. But, she really didn't want that. She wanted to keep him on top of her.

Lance noticed that she had stopped driving. He looked down at her in confusion. “Pidge?”

“What?” She asked. She noticed him still paying attention to the screen, trying to win first place. She was now in sixth from her split second of screwed up concentration. “Ah, fuck.”

“Haha, victory,” Lance leaned forward a bit. His upper body was now covering hers. At least now you can say that I really did use a cheat code.”

Really? He was gonna act like this? He was gonna act all suave? Alright, two can definitely play this game. Pidge was going to beat him at his own game.

Even if she has a crush on him.

She leans up a bit so that she's inches away from his face. She was in a state of panic as she did this, but she wasn’t about to let her nerve die down.

“Hey, Lancey,” she said as he quirked an eyebrow at her motions. “Wanna know something?” When he nodded, she laughed and put her mouth to his ear. “Gary, come home.”

Lance leaned back up when she hadn't said anything serious. He laughed and stumbled backwards a little too quickly that Pidge wondered if the position had made him uncomfortable.

“I see even you got it bad for your quarterback here?” Lance joked, wiggling his eyebrows. He shook his head to dismiss the joke.

But Pidge was on a role. She scoffed way louder than necessary and even gave him a hyena laugh. “Yeah, it's not like I like anyone else or anything. Right.”

Okay, complete lie and utter bullshit. She knows that every word of her sentence hadn't been true. Mainly because she didn't like anyone else and she actually  _ does  _ have it bad for the quarterback.

She didn't notice that Lance has gone silent until she realized that the computers had beat them both at Mario Kart. They stopped playing a minute ago, but that didn't stop them from losing.

Lance was just… Staring blankly at her. He had an unreadable facial expression that she couldn't tell if he was angry or not. But what would he be angry at?

“Earth to Lance?” Pidge waved a hand in his face to get his attention. “Hello? You good there?”

Lance shook his head like a wet dog before addressing her again. “You mean to tell me while I've been all depressed that you've had a crush of your own?”

Oh, so that's where the anger came from. Because she didn't let him know that she's very much hopelessly in love with him. Yeah, she had a valid reason not to say anything.

Pidge shrugged. “I didn't want to say anything because then we would both just be all sad and we would go to Coldstones way more often. I'm a student athlete, I ain't got the time or money.”

“Yet you didn't even tell me?” Lance seemed genuinely a little offended. “Pidge, I'm your best friend. I'm automatically required to know about this kind of stuff.”

Hmm, this was a little hard to come up with a response for. Considering the fact that she can't tell him that she can't tell him this information or else she'd be telling him that she likes him.

Like hell that she'd ever admit it without knowing for sure that it's not one sided.

With the game of Mario Kart long forgotten, she set down her blue controller. She never noticed how much of Lance's hand covers the red one until he had it in a death grip.

“It's unrequited anyways,” Pidge rolled her eyes at his concern. “In all honesty, I should drop the dude because it's never gonna happen. But, we're both on the same page here.”

Lance narrowed his eyes. “I swear to freaking god if you like Keith too…”

“No no no,” Pidge waved her arms around to try to let him know it's not the other football player. “No, besides that one weird period last year when I thought he was super cool for making varsity his first year here.”

“It's not that cool!” Lance said exhausted. “I made var freshman year, which is one thousand times cooler and better than making it junior year which is like… The year everyone leaves jv.”

“Okay, excuse me number fifty four,” she put her hands up in defense. “Sorry, I'm a catcher. We do the same thing, Lance. We're the ones who deal with the ball a lot.”

Lance pretended to show off his muscles. “They don't call me sharpshooter for nothing. I can throw that football so far, might as well call me Brady.”

Pidge rolled her eyes, thanking every deity she could think of because the subject of her crush had been dropped. “I'll be Austin Barnes, then. The best catcher, exactly like me.”

He made a face at her. “Not even. You just say that because he's cute. What? You gonna say that Keith is the best on football because he's the cutest one? Who is it?”

Well, fuck you too Zeus.

“Who's what?” She played dumb, trying to keep the conversation on anything but her for as long as she could.

“Who's your crush?” Lance asked, face suddenly so serious and different from the playful one that he had as he pinned her down.

Pidge shrugged. “I dunno.”

It was Lance's turn to roll his eyes this time, opposed to her many rolling of the eyes. “I know you just don't want to tell me.”

But all she did was shrug again. “I dunno. Maybe it's somebody that we know.”

Or it's him.

“Pidge…” He said in a warning voice.

She did the best thing she could do in this situation and drop hints. “He's on football, a senior, and is eight months older than me.”

Lance scratched his chin to think, and laughed as he thought. “There's only three other guys with July birthdays besides me, one of them being Bi-Boh-Bi.”

Pidge shrugged and smiled, wanting nothing more than to tell him in that moment. But alas, he picked up the controller again, and the racing began once more.

It's not like Pidge tried to ignore the looks he gave her out of the corner of his eye. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tangled the series season finale is tomorrow and I'm not prepared hahaha kill me now :)


	22. scabiosa

Lance never considered himself a jealous person.

He only ever got jealous whenever it was someone he actually had a reason to be jealous for. He was never the kind to get upset over a best friend talking to someone else.

The only other time that Lance had ever been jealous over someone that wasn’t Allura was last year, junior year aka, when Pidge started dating  _ James Griffin. _

In his defense, the only reason he had gotten jealous was because Pidge was talking to James more than her own best friend, and she told James everything rather than him.

But does he get jealous over Hunk and Pidge? No, because he isn’t one to get envious. Besides, James ended up cheating on her so it’s not like it even lasted long.

So, if Lance never gets this way, than why was he gritting his teeth in biology as he watched her and Lotor talk about whatever the subject was?

Maybe it’s because Lance is offended that Pidge didn’t tell him that she had a crush, and didn’t even tell him who it is. Is it Lotor? Is that why she wouldn’t say anything?

They were sitting at their lab tables, so all Lance had to do is turn one hundred and eighty degrees and he’d be in their conversation. Her and Lotor sat next to each other, anyways.

But something stopped him. Something made him only sit and silently watch as Lotor asked Pidge for the formula or something about photosynthesis, and she made fun of him since she always explains it.

If you asked Lance, though, he’d say that Lotor is only asking so that he could talk to the girl. That innocent smile that all the baseball players had was flushed across his face.

Hmm, maybe Lotor and Allura would be a good couple. They both have an innocent smile that make people for miles go crazy about them.

It’s stupid, really. Lance is trying to believe that he’s over Allura. He doesn’t even feel anything when he sees Keith and her talking, like he does at the moment as he steals a glance at them.

No jealousy, nada. But watching the way that Pidge hit Lotor’s shoulder as he tried to copy her lab results made the green goblin envious of Lance’s color.

“You are the dumbest person that I know,” Pidge laughed, wrinkling her nose. “You really think that the Dodgers have the easiest division when you’re a damn  _ Yankees  _ fan?”

Of course, the baseball talk. The baseball talk that Lance has no idea how to keep up with.

It’s expected that the football quarterback know all sports because of how incredibly athletic he is and how hot he would look in the tight track uniform.

Hey, it’s the volleyball players words, not his.

But really, the only other sport that Lance could ever play would probably be track because he can run. Baseball? He once tried being the sharpshooter at pitching and ended up giving Rachel, his other sister, an enormous bruise on her arm.

The one time he tried basketball, he hit the ball off of the backboard and into his the window of his brother Marco’s car. Yeah, that was a lot of leaves to rake for that summer.

But luckily, he always had his best friend there by his side. Pidge never raked the leaves, but she sat down by him and kept him company, which he forever enjoyed.

Said best friend is now pretend begging Lotor for something, making a pouty face and somehow managing to make her eyes bigger than they are.

Girls with innocent features must be something for him because her huge eyes contained evidence that she had done nothing wrong.

She looked so cute in that moment.

But Lance hated that the look had to be directed towards Lotor and not at him as they play fight or as she finds a new shortcut in a course of Mario Kart, or even when she cheated at Mario Party.

Look, she’s hacking or something in the game because there’s no way that Lance is losing that bad at a game where he plays as Bowser and she’s freaking  _ Monty Mole. _

“Lotor, please give me back my keys?” Pidge continued asking, her short arms reaching up to grab the sparkly lanyard with the Dodgers logo on it as he held it above his head.

“Nope,” Lotor closed his eyes and looked up. “The second I see your face I know that I’m going to cave into your puppy dog eyes so I am no longer making contact with you.”

She made a sound of protest and rolled her eyes. “You are so unbelievable. I am going to find someone who can help me deal with you.”

Lance quickly turned around and faced his paper, making it look like he hadn’t been watching their exchange for the past period or so.

He saw her glance at him from the corner of his eye, but he made himself finally write his name on the lab instructions so that he make himself look busy.

She hopped off of the stool where she barely reached the ground, requiring the jumping. She hummed to herself as she made her way towards another table.

Lance’s heart literally stopped when he saw her stop at fucking Keith’s table. She quickly said something to him, Allura paying great attention to the conversation, before she returned to her spot next to Lotor.

What could have her smiling so damn much after talking to Keith of all people?

“Keith said that he’s going to go football guy on you if you don’t get away from Lance’s girl,” Pidge pointed at Lance as she said this. “That why he called me over. For a threat that neither of us understand.”

His… girl? Who? Keith is the one who had scored Allura. He should be telling himself that. Who is his girl, who do people think is his girl, and what does Keith know?

But apparently Lotor understood since he just laughed at shot finger guns of Keith, who only returned the gesture, winked, and turned back to his girlfriend.

“Here, now Lancey has your keys,” Lotor lightly tossed the keys to Lance, his baseball arm being able to aim the keys perfectly in his arms.

“I got your keys now,” Lance smiled, happy to be a part of the teasing now.

Pidge crossed her arms and glared at him. “You are so mean to me. I’m not taking you to Walmart with me anymore.”

Lance dangled her keys in her face. “You can’t anyways, because I got your keys.”

Her mouth formed in a perfect O, trying to find a way to comeback to his statement. “Well, fine. Guess I’ll die.”

“Wait, no,” Lance grabbed her arm and she pretended to hang herself with a paperclip and the hair tie on her wrist.

“Awe, how nice,” Pidge faked affection by placing her hand over her heart. “I’ll tell Veronica that you did your good deed of the day."

“Thank you,” Lance couldn’t imagine the beating he’d get from Veronica’s pillow if Pidge told her that Lance made her hang herself in fifth period with a paperclip.

“But only right after I tell Veronica that you bullied me,” Pidge yelled, catching him of guard with her words. She was able to take her keys back in his hesitation.

The bell rang for lunch, and all Lance could hear was Mr. W’s dismissal, and Pidge yelling behind her shoulder, “I gotcha, fifty four.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn. The tangled season finale killed me


	23. dianthus

There's many things about football that Lance didn't like.

The conditioning, the weight room, the games that seemed to drag on for hours. But most of all, he couldn't stand most of the guys half of the time.

He was with a couple of them, and they passed by the softball field after practice. Keith was among the boys, and Lance still felt no ounces of jealousy or anything. 

If anything, he's happy about Keith and Allura dating. She deserves someone who could make her happy, and if that someone was Keith, then all Lance could do was support her.

He wants to make amends if anything. If to be friends or whatever. But no matter, he wanted to not avoid her every time that he saw her. Second period had become very awkward due to their nature.

So, while they pass the softball field, he can see his sister and her team of varsity softball players. They weren't that close, but he could still see who's who.

The rest of the guys started to walk more towards the field. Lance had really no choice but to follow as they sat down on the bleachers. He didn't want to, since the guys could distract a couple of the girls, but he didn't want to be alone.

Veronica seems to finally spot them on the bleachers. She shakes her head and points in the other direction. Lance shrugs, telling her that he couldn't go where she wanted him to even if he wanted to.

“I think Scary over there is trying to get us to leave,” Bi-Boh-Bi motioned to where Veronica was standing. Really? Of all the nicknames at his disposal,  _ scary  _ is the one chosen?

“We can stay,” Lance shouted so Veronica heard him. “We can stay and that's final. Lo siento, Veronica. But, isn't it so much better than I'm here?”

Keith pulled him down to the bleacher so that he was sitting down again. “You are such an embarrassment, damn.”

Lance smiled and shrugged. Kinkade, one of their buddies who also does swimming, clapped him on the back. “How awkward is it that your sister coaches your girlfriend? They probably talk shit about you all day.”

..what?

What's with everyone thinking that Lance is with someone? He just got freaking rejected, and he isn't dating anybody. He can't even think of who'd he date on the softball team.

“Who?” Lance asked confused.

Keith is the first to start laughing. Lance saw Veronica glaring at them as the mullet died of laughter. He tried to calm him down, but to no avail since Keith continued laughing.

“Veronica is glaring at us,” Lance warned, trying to ignore his sister's death glance. “I would prefer going home alive before she kills me for distracting her players.”

“Sorry, you made me laugh,” Keith shook his head as Kinkade crumbled on his shoulder laughing. “You saying that there's no one on that softball team that you're dating?”

Lance shook his head, confused. “Nope. I think I would know if I had a girlfriend that was on softball. I think I would know if I had a girlfriend in the first place.”

Bi-Boh-Bi cleared his throat. “They're talking about Green.”

He choked.

Lance started coughing and turning red because he started choking on  _ air.  _ He couldn't stop coughing, even as Keith weakley thumped him on the back. There wasn't even force because the dude was laughing too much.

“What the hell gave you that idea?” Lance questioned, feeling suicidal at the time. He was ready to throw himself off of the bleachers and die right there.

Pidge?

Look, it's not like he wouldn't date her. She's amazing and all. But he's just never really thought about it before. Well, would they even be a good fit?

Pidge is amazing. She's smart and pretty and about everything that Lance would ever look for in a girl. But that's exactly it. She's way too good for him anyways.

Sure, he could pull almost anybody. It's not really that hard considering his position at the school. Hell, he's been able to go to parties and get people he doesn't even know. No alcohol is even needed.

But, when it comes to the idea of getting with Pidge, it seems impossible.

Not even because he thinks he wouldn't be a good boyfriend. Nah, no matter the person, he would always be a good boyfriend. That doesn't change with his significant other.

No, it's that the girl is way too good for him. Pidge doesn't need some football player. She deserves the captain of the math decathlon team. She should get someone smart.

Pidge wouldn't ever go out with someone like him, so she's out the picture.

“Maybe the fact that you guys are always together,” Kinkade rolled his eyes as if that was an obvious fact.

“Well, of course,” Lance scoffed. Isn't that already a given? “Considering we're friends, I would say it's appropriate to be together a lot.”

“No, not even that,” Keith evaluated. “You guys are always around each other. The way that couples are always together.  You both act like you're in a relationship, anyways.”

“We're not,” Lance rolled his eyes. “I'm sure that Veronica would kill me for trying to hit on one of her players, anyways. Especially one who's close to our family, like Pidge.”

“Hold up,” Bi-Boh-Bi made a time out signal. “You're telling me that Green met your familia?”

“Well, yeah,” rolling his eyes was always a common occurrence around Bi-Boh-Bi. “It's was just as friends though. Because that's all we are. Friends. Close friends, but friends nonetheless.”

“Hmm,” Keith stuck his tongue out and tried to lick Lance. “The same way that Mr. Shirogane and Mr. W are only coworkers.”

“Get your tongue away,” Lance grabbed Keith by his face and pushed him away. “You stinky, stinky person.”

But Lance got very distracted when he saw the girls on the field running bases. But, especially when he saw Pidge.

Her hair was all messed up and all over the place. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and  _ took it off.  _ She took off her  _ shirt  _ and was no in a grey sports bra as her and her teammates ran.

Sure, the other girls did the same, but Lance didn't pay them any attention as he watched his friend. Her toned stomach as the sweat dripped down her face left  _ wonders  _ for the imagination.

It's not even any kind of romantic attraction that's making Lance in awe of the actual goddess in front of him. He's a hormonal teenage boy, and that's why he's finding her so pretty at the moment.

Yeah, that's definitely it.

He ignores Kinkade's whistling at him, Keith's hyena laugh, and Bi-Boh-Bi dying of coughing. He ignores all of that because his eyes are trained on one girl right now.

It may be fucked up to pay attention to Pidge practicing now as her shirt is off, but it's not like he could say much that wouldn't sound awful coming out of his mouth.

Why has he never noticed? Lance has always known that Pidge was a very pretty girl. He saw her getting the guys and everything since freshman year.

Like when they played Mario Kart last week and she revealed that she likes someone: great. It's someone on football, and it can either be Bi-Boh-Bi or that one dude who's name always escapes Lance.

She didn't tell him. It's only normal for Lance to be upset about her keeping this from him. Okay, so  _ maybe  _ pinning her down and getting on top of her is a bit much, but it's how the information was revealed.

“You were saying, McClain?” Keith finally asked, face red and eyes watering.

“Oh, fuck  _ off  _ Keith,” Lance cleared his throat very loudly. “I am perfectly composed right now, and I'm pretty sure my sister hates me right now.”

“I don't think it has anything to do with us laughing too loudly, bro,” Kinkade shook his head as he caught his breath. “There's a reason we kept Lotor away from Pidge.”

“What?” Bi-Boh-Bi's eyes went wide. “You mean Prince tried getting Green?”

Lance dismissed that thought quickly. “Well, they're never going to happen so no. I mean, he did try, but it was very unsuccessful once Keith told him something.”

Kinkade tried necking Keith, but he grabbed the other's wrist and lifted it. “I only told Lotor to stay away from Lance's girl. I didn't reveal what else we had planned.”

“Better have not,” Kinkade scoffed, and turned his attention back to Lance. “So, Loverboy, what you gonna do when Veronica asks why you had your mouth open as you watched Pidge run shirtless?”

“I wasn't,” he tried denying.

“Sure, fifty four,” Bi-Boh-Bi commented.  

“Only Pidge calls him that,” Keith laughed. Lance was actually a little greatful that he didn't have to explain to the guys why Bi-Boh-Bi calling him that bothered him.

“Shit, sorry,” Bi-Boh-Bi apologized. “I'll let Green call you that from now on.”

“Thank you,” Lance said, for once turning away from Pidge running to focus on his friends as the topic changed.

It's like the stupid puzzle again. Now, he's straight up confused. He was so sure that the puzzle would picture Allura, but now it's making a different picture.

A picture that seemed quite impossible. 


	24. hydrangea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That one chapter where I use ask every other line

Lance is seriously going to shoot himself in the head.

Doing a countdown from ten for conditioning made him want to die. Look, he knows that he needs to do the workout to be a better quarterback, but he really doesn't want to put in the work.

Like at the game tomorrow; he's starting (instead of Keith). But hey, he earned his letterman jacket freshman year and just continued adding letters until senior year. This is what got him here.

When they had counted from ten to one in their workout, every guy grabbed his knees and panted. Lance ran a hand through his hair to calm himself down. It was always calming whenever Pidge's tiny fingers would tangle themselves in his hair.

Keith walked to where Lance was standing and put an arm around his shoulder. “Starting for Friday night lights tomorrow, eh?” Keith raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner.

“You mean like I always do because you're complete trash,” Lance high-fived whoever was behind him because that person laughed at his joke. Lance didn't even bother turning around and instead smirked.

“Little shit,” Keith hit his head lightly. “You know that I could beat you if I really tried.”

“As  _ if,”  _ Lance rolled his eyes. He tried walking away, but Keith held him tight in place with his arm. “Buddy, what exactly are you doing here?”

“I'm going to interrogate you,” Keith grabbed both of Lance's shoulders and pushed him onto the ground. “Actually, we all kind of are.”

From his position on the ground, Lance could see that all of the guys had circled up around him and surrounding the area. They all looked down at him with his arms crossed. It was terrifying to see a bunch of big dudes around him.

“What did I do?” Lance asked. “Whatever it is they told you I swear I'm innocent.”

Even the freaking junior varsity coach Mr. Shirogane (surprise) came to question and scare the hell out of Lance. He cleared his throat loudly. “Hello there, Mr. McClain.”

Really? Using the last name to scare the crap out of Lance? Well good job because it's absolutely working and is making him want to run away and cuddle in his room for hours. 

“Oh, come  _ on,”  _ Lance tried standing up, but instead Keith grabbed his shoulders again and kept him in tight to the ground. “I swear I didn't harass anyone if that's what you think. I know, people have falsely accused me of this before.”

Keith shook his head and laughed. He forced Lance to look at him. “Buddy, we just want to ask you a few questions that we feel are necessary to ask because of how you've been lately.”

How he's been lately? He's been practicing fine, which is why he's starting tomorrow. He has never gotten upset at Keith if that's something else that they think. He only ever got angry at Allura that one time. There's really nothing too bad that he's done recently. 

“And how have I been?” Lance asked, his eyes narrowing at all of the people surrounding him. “I know that y'all think that I did something. Anyone could tell you that I didn't do it.”

“Can Pidge testify?” Keith tried hiding his laughter behind his hand, but failed since he asked with his voice cracking.

Yeah yeah yeah, maybe the voice cracking was due to Keith barley hitting puberty. Wow, good one for having no one to share that insult with. Can everyone stop laughing at him now?

Lance groaned. “I don't know, probably.” They were not having this conversation again where everyone thinks that him and Pidge are together for no reason other than the fact that they're super close.

“What was it about Allura that you liked?” Keith's arm that was around Lance tightened. Was this what this was? A chance to embarrass him for being rejected in front of the tennis team?

It would make sense. He's over the stage of sadness and anger and can now freely joke about that one girl on tennis who liked mullet of all people. But seriously, did they have to do it at all? With Keith the one questioning him?

“I don't really have to answer that,” Lance made no attempt to stand since he knew he wouldn't be able to, but still planted his hands behind him. “Okay, you've had your fun. Let me up so I can go home and like, shower, ya know?”

Keith looked into his eyes, which made Lance want to back away a bit. “It's a legitimate question. What was it about Allura that you liked so much?”

“I don't really want to describe to you what I used to like about your girlfriend,” Lance said a little too fast, raising his hands up in defense.

“Do it,” Kinkade egged on. “We're not leaving till you tell us.”

Lance groaned and rolled his eyes. He was going to have to go into his old feelings and think about what it was about Allura that he adored so much. Which is a lot.

“She's a very pretty girl,” Lance crossed his arms and spoke angrily. “Her barley shoulder length hair was also very pretty. She had a very pretty face. It's also a stupid face. That's one reason.”

He heard someone whisper something about Allura having long hair, but he ignored it. He could only think about the untameable curls that she always had that made her small frame look absolutely adorable.

Maybe it wasn't even the face. Yeah, of course she was absolutely gorgeous and completely out of his league. But, maybe it's the way that her hair fanned around her that made her look so pretty when she wouldn't even try.

“I wouldn't say she's goofy because I hate people who refer to themselves like that, but she was something,” he continued, hoping that made sense **because** **author here is writing at 2 am on a school night.**

“And how was that?” Keith asked him with great curiosity. Amusement sparkled in his eyes. He was really getting a kick out of this, considering that this is his  _ girlfriend  _ that they're talking about.

“She had such a great personality. She would always joke around with me and we would talked a lot. She could ramble on about the randomest things and I would always listen because it was super interesting to me,” Lance looked up at the sky, not wanting to see Keith.

Even though he refused to make eye contact with Keith, Lance could tell that the other boy was thinking the same thing. That a rambling girl was always the cutest because that's when she let herself  _ be  _ herself around a guy.

See,  _ that's  _ what Lance loves in a girl or boy. When they allow themselves to get vulnerable and don't change anything because a loverboy introduced himself to them. That confidence that they probably didn't even know they held.

“Who else can you think of that exact same thing? Or maybe has always done that and you never noticed?” Keith asked, sitting criss cross applesauce in front of him.

Lance thought for a couple of seconds to every person he's ever made eye contact with. Kidding. He thought about the kind of people he's friends with, and who ramble. Who have an amazing personality.

“Pidge rambles,” Lance decided. “But besides her, I can't really think of anybody else. Lotor only does it the hour before he has a game, but Pidge does it pretty often. Not even when she's nervous, but excited even.”

Yeah, that's the way Lance is. Very observant all of the time. He has to be, or else how else would he be the sharpshooter? It comes along with the title to put the work in to be a great thrower. Where was this motivation when he was conditioning just now?

“And the pretty shoulder length hair?” Keith asked, eyebrows raised with a teasing tone. “How do you explain that?”

“Easy!” Lance yelled a little too loudly. Keith flinched back a bit. “I can picture her shoulder… her shoulder length hair right now, all soft and shiny and.. and brown…”

He trailed off as he realized what he had been saying since this whole interrogation started. Or should he say; who he's been describing for the past two minutes.

Allura doesn't really ramble when she talks.

Allura doesn't have brown shoulder length hair.

There's only one other girl who he's describing when he got asked what he liked about this girl. There's only one other girl who it could possibly be but that's… Impossible.

“Lance?” Keith asked, holding in laughter.

“You're fucking joking.” They had to be joking. There's absolutely no way. It  _ can't  _ be the person that he was thinking of. He can't be describing anyone else. “You are joking.”

This can't be real. It can't be real. Lance really isn't talking about anyone else. He can't. He can't be talking about a girl who's never going to like him. He  _ can't  _ be talking about her. They have to be joking.

“How can we be joking when you're the only one not thinking about Allura?” Keith clicked his tongue. “I take it that you have come to a couple of realizations.”

Lance sighed. “My best friend turned into the girl that I like.”

“That's rough, buddy.”

_ How? _

He didn't even realize it. He never realized that when he stopper thinking about Allura, that his mind would automatically switch to Pidge. How could he not know?

It feels like the feelings came out of nowhere. He liked her back in sophomore year, yeah. But, how could he be crushing on her right now as a senior? Right after Allura?

Well, Pidge is amazing.

She's pretty. Scratch that, beautiful. She has this smile that lights up her whole face. Her eyes are large, making her seem vulnerable at all times. She has all these little physical things about her that make her amazing.

Plus, that amazing personality he was just talking about. She's always so determined about certain topics and can indulge in anything so quickly. It's the way that she is.

Pidge is super smart. She's probably the smartest person he knows. She knows to avoid the boys like Lance because they have nothing to them besides being athletic. She's smart enough to know that.

She's great like that.

Now that's where the problem is. Pidge is way too good for him. She's smart and a softball player. He's the quarterback, which automatically makes him an airhead. Which he can be at times. A girl like her would never like a guy like him.

“You good?” Keith asks, his arm snaking its way off of Lance. Keith stood up and offered his hand to Lance, who took it and got pulled up. Keith looked actually… Concerned for once.

“Why do I always crush on the girls that I know wouldn't like me?” Lance groaned miserably and buried his head into Keith's shoulder. “There's no way someone as amazing as Pidge would ever like me back.”

“Does she friendzone you?” Bi-Boh-Bi ask. “I mean, you're best friends and all. Is there ever times when she friendzones you?”

Lance thought back to their past conversations that have taken place. He didn't see any indicator that he was seen as only a best friend. It's probably the way she saw him, though. Like Pidge would ever have a crush on him.

“Not really,” Lance wanted nothing but to l e a v e. How unexpected is it that he would ever fall for someone like his best friend? How is it that this happened in the first place?

That's what was holding him back. Even if he didn't know it at the time, it was Pidge that made him not want to get back into the game. It was Pidge this whole time and he didn't even know it.

Oh, how the picture to his puzzle made so much more sense now.

The puzzle is pretty much complete now. He figured out all of the pieces. All that's left to do now is frame it. How is he going to do that?

“So, what are you gonna do about your crush now?” Keith asked, a smirk dazzling his face.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Lance!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had one (1) conversation with my crush today during my ap bio class that lasted all period so I had to write in celebration


	25. lobelia

How is it so difficult being around her now?

It was two minutes until halftime, and Lance could see Pidge perfectly clear on the bleachers with Hunk, Lotor, and James Griffin. Why was James there?

Like yeah, James and Pidge are at the same lab table along with Lotor. It still doesn't make it any less awkward considering that their exes and he cheated on her. Does Pidge care? Does she need Lance there to-

No. Pidge is a big girl. She's independent and fine on her own. She doesn't need Lance right behind her to get all the boys she doesn't want away from her, as much he would like to.

“Good there?” Keith asked, watching the defense play that their school had set up. “Wow, Beezer sure has gotten better from last year.”

“Well last year, he was a  _ junior  _ on junior varsity so yeah, I would say so,” Lance grumped a bit as he made his remark. Beezer, another dude they nicknamed, was also another guy to win the affection of Pidge.

Damn it, why is Pidge so damn attractive? Why do all these damn boys keep liking her. Why did she have to be the smartest damn one on that softball team? Damn…

Looks like more competition for Lance. It's not like she said that she likes someone else not too long ago. It's not like he already knows that she isn't going to like him because she's that out of his league. Nothing like that.

“I would say that with the way you're glaring at James over there next to Pidge,” Keith bumped his shoulder. “You're getting jealous right now, aren't you?”

Lance shrugged. “I don't have to be jealous to want to get her away from the ex boyfriend who cheated on her and stomped all over her heart. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves only the best. Wonder when she'll find that.”

“Don't do that,” Keith breathed. “Don't sell yourself so short. I'm sure you never thought about Allura like this. Why is it that with Pidge you're all self conscious and keep doubting yourself?”

“Probably because Pidge is someone that I know I have no chance with,” Lance said seriously. “She's already told me that she likes someone. There's no way that it's me. We're too close of friends for that.”

Keith almost started laughing. He cracked a smile and silently chuckled, but thankfully kept it all in. “Oh…” He took one glance at the confused look on Lance's face and started dying laughing.

“What?” He caught the glare from Kinkade, who was currently playing on the field as defense. He wanted to try shushing Keith, but he judging by his red face, that wasn't going to happen.

“Did she mention at all who this other person is?” Keith asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“All she mentioned was him being in football and having a birthday in July,” Lance said. “So it's somebody that we know.”

Keith this time stifled his laugh. “Oh my god, Katie,” he put his face in his hands. “I can't believe her, right now. I am deceased. Absolutely deceased. Tell Katie it's her fault.”

Maybe it's hearing the use of her full name that made Lance angry, but all he knew was the second that buzzer went off for half time, he stalked away with great anger for his teammate.

He made eye contact with Pidge and motioned for her to come down. He watched as she bidded goodbye to James, Hunk, and Lotor as she made her way down the bleachers.

Did she always hang out with that many boys? Why does Pidge hang out with attractive boys, nonetheless. Lotor and James do baseball together, for god sake. Of course James is a jerk.

That logic may be off but Lance is in a very jealous position right now. Do not judge him for coming up with every possible reason that she shouldn't be with James, even though the chances of her getting back with him are very unlikely.

“Lance, can we talk?”

*

Pidge panicked.

She made her way down the bleachers since Lance had called her down there. Okay, great. Thank you for getting her out of that very awkward position of having to make small talk with her ex while Hunk and Lotor watched.

But as she made her way down, she saw Allura approach him before she had the chance to make it all the way to the floor. Why? Why is Allura, who may still be mad at him, trying to talk to him?

Oh god, Allura approached him first. Lance didn't even have to make the first move. Is she still with Keith? What if they broke up and no one knew? What if Allura is trying to get with him now? What if-

“What happened?” Pidge heard from below her. She was literally on the last level of bleachers before her walk was interrupted. She looked down at the field and saw that it was Keith talking to her.

Maybe it was Keith and what he asked, or she's just emotional, but she let the tears come out. She ran down the steps and to him, not giving a fuck anymore and launched herself at him to give him a hug.

Keith immediately responded, wrapping his arms around her and she cried into him.

Why is she crying? What is it about Lance now that triggers crying everytime she sees him? It's not even a big deal. He's casually flirting with Allura and Pidge is going to have to stand by and watch it all over again.

Why does he make her so emotional? Pidge could pretend all she wants that he's just a stupid guy that has no effect on her or her actions, but that's not true. It's not true because she can't stop.

“Pidge?” Keith asked, rubbing the small of her back. “What happened? Are you okay? Did Lance say something?”

“Are you and Allura still dating?” She managed to choke out, her breath coming in ragged shorts. Her tears blurred her vision but she could see the quarterback and girl in a purple hoodie clearly.

Keith finally managed to figure out what was wrong as he turned slightly to the left and saw what she had been staring at. He had the human decency to  _ chuckle  _ a little bit.

“Yep, we're still dating,” Keith chuckled. “And I know for a fact that they're not flirting, if that's what you're afraid of.”

Okay, good. That didn't stop Pidge from continuing to cry, though. She still felt emotional, no matter what Keith said. Even if Keith knows for sure, she hates it that they're still talking.

“I hate this,” Pidge felt little sorry for getting his jersey wet with her tears. “I hate that I'm nothing like the other girls he's liked and dated. No matter how much I try, I can't get him to turn my way.”

Where was this coming from? Pidge is always a super confident person. She knows that she has a lot going for her. She's smart and a student athlete. Why is it that she feels like nothing right now?

“No, don't do that to yourself,” Keith tightened his arms around her. “Don't sell yourself short. Don't even compare yourself to other girls. You're just as amazing as anyone else, and I'm sure Lance would say the same.”

“You don't know that,” Pidge shot back. She's tired of people telling her that it's okay, and that Lance would feel the same. She's tired of feeling the pity. She's tired of it.

“I do know,” Keith swung her a little bit. “And nothing I said here leaves us or else I'm killing you.”

“Sick, I'm down for that.”

“Pidge, no.”

She laughed at that. She can see why Allura would fall for someone like Keith. He's a really good guy. If Lance couldn't have her, then Pidge is really glad that she still found someone great.

It's funny. She was always really close with Keith. It's just that she distanced herself from him a bit for the sake of Lance. Now, here she is again, crying into Keith  _ about  _ Lance.

How funny.

“Okay, Keith,” Lance's voice rang beside her. “You can let go of her now.”

But she felt Keith's suffocating grip. “And why would I do that?”

“Don't bully it's illegal,” Allura chuckled. When did Allura come?

Keith released her, but not without a last reassuring squeeze. “Don't sell yourself short. Remember that.” He smiled at her as he walked away with Allura.

“What was that about- oh hey you're crying,” Lance looked surprised. Well, it is weird to see someone you  _ just  _ saw, who was fine, all of a sudden crying.

“Well…”

*

“Lance, can we talk?”

He looked away from Pidge coming down the bleachers as his eyes focused on Allura, who was only about a yard away from him. She waved sheepishly at him.

Oh yeah. They hadn't talked since she went off on him. Even though she really didn't have a reason for that. Allura couldn't get as mad as she did.

“Aren't we doing that right now?” Lance asked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He still felt the pang of anger.

“Look, I wanted to say that I'm sorry,” she played with one of her hoodie strings. “I, first of all, shouldn't have done anything in front of tennis. I shouldn't have kissed Keith when I knew that you were gonna be out any second. And I really shouldn't have gotten angry at you. For that, I say that I'm sorry.”

Lance didn't say anything for a bit. He thought about how sincere she is. If she was actually sorry, then how come it took so long? Why would she put off apologizing for what had it been, a month already?

“Did you regret it?” Lance finally asked. “Did you regret what you said and decide that you needed to clear your conscious? But you just finally got around to it?”

Harsh words. Whatever. She's the one who used the harsh words in the beginning. She didn't have to yell at him. She didn't have to kiss Keith in front if him. Why is she only doing this?

“Lance,” she stopped to let out a humorless laugh. “I thought you were freaking dating Pidge at one point, so I'm sorry for keeping my distance for the sake of what I thought was your relationship. It wasn't until Keith mentioned it recently that you're not dating that I got up and did it.”

“So you finally came around?”

“Look and listen to me, Lance. I'm sorry, and I acted cowardly. I was a bitch and I really fucked up. I didn't mean almost anything I said. I regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth. I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm sorry that it came out that way."

Lance had to think about how crazy this was. Allura sounded frantic as she talked. Her voice kept cracking as if she was about to cry, which seems impossible considering that she did the hurting.

Does he forgive her? Because if she means what she's saying and she didn't do this on purpose, than she genuinely felt remorseful and wanted to make amends.

“Maybe it wasn't fair of me to hold everything against you,” he admitted, rubbing his neck. “It's not your job to make sure I'm okay.”

She smiled gratefully, a sign that they were on their way to being fine against.

“I may need some time, but I'm willing to be friends again,” Lance smiled at her. “And just wondering, what exactly did Keith say about Pidge?”

Allura only smirked and put a hand on his shoulder. “Go get her.”

*

“Well, you gonna tell me or do I have to guess?”

Pidge shrunk under his gaze. She wanted to curl into a ball and not take another look at his stupid, beautiful face. Seeing it was probably going to make her cry again.

She kept her head down, looking down at the floor. Any boy would be jealous at the way she looked at the floor right now with immense focus and concentration.

“Why were you hugging Keith right now?” Lance asked again for what seemed like the seventh billion time in the past two minutes.

Why does it matter? It shouldn't matter to him who she hugs. It doesn't matter to him anyways. Best friend or not, he shouldn't really be as concerned as he is.

But Lance sighed again at the girl. “Stay here.” He jogged to where his bag was sitting on the track of the field, and peeled his letterman jacket that was sitting atop of his backpack off.

“Lance?” She questioned when he came back, her voice cracking with anticipation to cry again.

“You look cold,” Lance put the letterman around her shoulders. “Take it.”

Pidge wanted to fly. Here she was, standing and crying like an idiot as the most loved boy at Garrison wrapped one of his most prized possessions around her.

“Katie, listen to me,” Lance held on to the sleeves on the jacket to hold her in place. “We are going to my house after the game. You are going to tell me why you were crying and why Keith was here.”

The buzzer sounded for the end of half time. He waved a nagging finger at her before turning on his heel and running back to his team, putting his gear on and preparing for the three minute warm up period after half time.

Pidge put her arms though the sleeves. She wrapped the jacket around herself tighter. She felt important, considering that he never takes the damn thing off. It was funny to see people's reactions as she walked around with McClain on the back of the letterman.

The patches on the sleeves and back may as well have burned into her skin, since she stopped watching the game and studied only the letters of his football accomplishments.

Hunk, Lotor, and James said nothing as she walked back to their spot on the bleachers with bloodshot eyes, a runny nose, and wearing Lance's greatest achievement.

At least now Pidge had plans to look forward to at the end of the game. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLy sHIT I'M aLivE
> 
> This and the next chapter are probably my favorites just saying


	26. poorman's weatherglass

Pidge was surprised when it took a while for someone to open the door.

With Lance's big, Cuban family, it usually meant that someone else was always available to open the door. Why did it take more than ten seconds to be let inside?

It wasn't much of a surprise when Lance's face poked out from behind the door. He opened it wider to let her in and let out a huge sigh. He closed it behind him.

“I'm going to feed myself,” Pidge wandered to the fridge and opened it, rummaging around to see what else besides chocolate milk she could have. Seriously, this family only buys chocolate milk religiously.

“I ordered pizza, so there's no point in taking my milk,” Lance closed the fridge door so he was facing her. “So, care to tell me why you were crying now?”

Pidge groaned. She thought of as many lies as she could as she drove over here, but none really sounded legit. Especially considering that she doesn't get emotional around other people besides Lance.

“Where is everyone at?” Pidge asked, her best attempt to change the subject. There was no one else here besides her and Lance, and she was suddenly hyper aware of how soft Lance's letterman felt on her arms.  

“Family party,” Lance put his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the kitchen island. “I don't really know the uncle, and I had my game so I couldn't go anyways.”

“Mm,” Pidge nodded, finding a spot next to him and leaning back. She started taking off the jacket. “Here's your letterman, by the way. I thought you would want your most prized possession back.”

But Lance shook his head and waved his arms at her. “No, leave it on. It looks nice on you.”

That compliment made her want to melt into the kitchen island. She smiled sheepishly at him and put her hands into the pockets. Her hand grasped something in one of them.

When she pulled her hand back out, she found a piece of paper. She held it out to him so he could take it in case it's anything important. “I found this.”

Lance seemed to recognize it because the second he saw it, he took it from her and attempted to toss in into the trash can, but ended up missing. “Don't worry about that,” he smiled at her again.

Well, now she was curious. She went over to the trash can and tried to grab the paper, but Lance grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. She laughed, and where his hands were just now on her hips felt imprinted.

Lance pushed off of his heels so he was standing up right again. He stood in front of her, standing tall. She had to look up a lot so that she could actually meet his gaze. She ignored the intense look in his eyes.

“So, are you gonna tell me now? Or am I going to have to ask Keith for myself?” Lance asked, his arms resting on the kitchen island beside her, blocking her in.

Great, so she can't move. She's gonna be forced to tell someone who can read her like a book why she was crying. He can tell at times when she's lying. This can't be one of those reasons.

“The female menstrual cycle,” Pidge's glasses slid back onto her face because of the way that she was looking up at him. He couldn't even crouch down a little?

Lance shrugged his shoulders, his expression telling her that he didn't buy it. “Okay. Why did you have to go with Keith? Why couldn't you go to Hunk or Lotor or  _ me?” _

Why did he sound so upset? Why did he sound so desperate? Why did he emphasize himself being able to be there for her so much? He was all buddy buddy with Allura anyways.

“You seemed a bit busy,” Pidge rolled her eyes in annoyance. “When I was walking over to you, you found someone else to talk to. I naturally did the same.”

Lance understood immediately what she was talking about when he chuckled. “Allura was apologizing. We made amends and became friends again. I didn't mean to be intercepted when I called you over.”

Pidge wanted to laugh at how stupid she was. Of course Allura wouldn't actually be trying to flirt if she's still with Keith. Keith is a really good guy and Allura is better than to do something like that.

“Well, I still needed someone to talk with anyways,” Pidge said.

“Yeah, but why did you go to  _ Keith  _ of all people?”

Why did she go to Keith? At the time, he had seemed like the easiest person to go to. Keith had been there for her. Keith allowed her to hug him and cry into his shoulder.

Why wouldn't she go with Keith? She had felt so hurt in that moment. She felt tossed to the side that Lance so easily stopped paying attention to her and started talking with Allura. She can't get him to turn in her direction for shit. 

“I felt so ignored in that moment,” Pidge shook her head, bringing her hand up to her eyes so that she could cover them. “I needed someone and I just found Keith.”

“Why did you feel ignored?” Lance asked, his hands grabbing her and moving them from her face. He left them on her wrist, not taking his gaze off of her. “Who made you feel like that?”

Pidge's wrist burned like fire when he touched her. She wanted more physical contact whenever she was with him. She needed him to reassure her that he's still there.

“Stupid, stupid football boy,” she didn't mean to start crying. “Stupid boy who likes his tennis girl and I know that I have no chance with him and I just panicked. Keith was there but he's going to kill me if I tell what he said but I can't  _ help  _ but panic. I can't help it and I can't stand it.”

_ Fuck. _

Pidge didn't just say that. She didn't say that she had a football boy who's likes someone on tennis. No, she didn't just say that. She didn't say anything that's going to destroy her friendship. She didn't say that.

She tried to stop the small sob that escaped her mouth. She looked down trying to avoid his gaze. She didn't try to stop her crying as the tears fell down her face.

Why? Why does she have to cry over a boy? A boy is such a stupid reason to cry. She always said that she would never give a boy the time of day to cry over.

Yet, here she is, a crying mess in Lance's kitchen, wearing his jacket because she accidentally revealed herself and could've just compromised her friendship.

“Pidge?”

She couldn't look up. She can't look at him right now. She shook her head, continuing to look at the wood floor. If she took one little glance at his face, she know that she would burst into more tears.

“Katie, look at me please,” Lance pleaded, using her real name.

Funny, it's the same name that Keith used. The same way too. Trying to comfort her. Oh, how had this turned so bad? Her face was a wet mess now. Not nearly as bad as it had been when she went crying to Keith.

But she gave in. She bit her lip and looked up to meet his eyes. She shrunk under his powerful and unreadable gaze. She had no idea what he was thinking right now.

And that fucking scared Pidge.

“Yes?” She didn't like the way that he was looking at her right now, with a soft smile and a slight blush. “I'm looking at you. What?”

Lance moved his arm from her wrist and went up to her face. He wiped her tears that were still falling. God, please don't do that. Don't do that please. Don't try to ease the rejection. Lance, please.

“What happened?” Lance asked. His voice was soft. He's trying to be nice to her right now. “I don't think that you finished telling me what was wrong just now?”

Pidge wanted to scream. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes. They're best friends! She would've thought that would exclude her from getting the typical Loverboy Treatment™.

“Lance, we're just friends,” Pidge shook her head, trying more to convince herself than him. “We're just friends and that's we're ever going to be. And I'm okay with that.”

If friendship is the only thing that she could get then she's fine with that. Nothing is more important to her than his friendship. If she's only ever ‘just a friend' then so be it. Because that's better than lots of people before her have.

“Don't say that,” Lance shook his head. “Please don't say that we're just friends. Katie, don't.”

She was confused. “Best friends?”

“No!” Lance yelled. He cleared his throat and talked quieter. “No, listen. What is it exactly that you're trying to say?”

Pidge shrugged. She didn't know how to answer it. She sniffled and looked away again. But he didn't let her as he grabbed her face to force him to look at her.

“You're not allowed to look away from me anymore,” Lance chuckled. “What did you mean, Pidge?”

She moved her arms from where they were tight beside her and clasped them together. “I don't know, Lance. I don't know. I'm really emotional right now and I just don't know.”

It's not exactly a lie. Her emotions getting the better of her is why she confessed everything that she did. It shouldn't have happened this way it really shouldn't have-

“What's the matter?” Lance asked, making a pouty face at her.

“We're just friends and that's all we're ever going to be,” she whispered sadly. She wanted to rip his stupid jacket off of her. She cared too much for his article of clothing, though.

“Don't say that,” Lance pleaded. “Please, please don't say that.”

“You don't have to cheer me up, I'll be fine.”

“No, I like-”

Whatever Lance was going to say was cut off by the doorbell ringing. She completely forgot that he had ordered pizza prior to her arrival. It seemed he forgot too, as he stepped away from her cursing silently.

She took the opportunity of him walking away to take off the letterman. She left it on the island, on full display, and went to meet him at the doorway, where he was talking with the pizza delivery girl.

“That's a nice pizza,” Pidge commented as the pizza girl, with a name tag of Honerva, showed the pizza. “In a hideous sort of way. Kinda like you, Lance.”

Honerva rolled her eyes. “You freaking Garrison kids are so weird.” Pidge followed where Honerva's eyes traveled: the jacket. Oh fuck, Zarkon's girlfriend goes to Galra, with the name of Honerva, and is the only girl with the balls to insult Garrison to their face. Which means that this is-

“We're good kids,” Lance smiled at Honerva. “I wouldn't say that we're  _ friendly,  _ though.”

Pidge wanted to run and hide as Lance empathized friendly. What's so wrong with her saying that they'll forever be friends? They both know that it's true.

“Sometimes, Garrison kids just stay friends because Garrison kids are best friends, despite what one kid says,” Pidge plastered a fake smile as Lance gave the money to Honerva.

“Sometimes the Garrison kids don't want to stay friends and want to be more,” Lance smiled just as fake as Honerva counted the ones. “Uh, keep the change.”

“That's why Garrison kids are best friends,” Pidge took a step outside of the door. “Because sometimes Garrison kids don't need to make anybody happy because we understand when and how to take rejection.”

“Pidge, don't go,” Lance hastily took the pizza from Honerva and set it down somewhere on the floor. “I mean it when I say that.”

“Look, Lance,” Pidge had started walking to her car, but was stopped as Lance ran outside to grab her wrist. “You really don't have to make me feel better. I understand, okay? I really do. I will be perfectly fine with friendship.”

“But I don't  _ want  _ friendship!” Lance yelled. “I want you and I want you to understand that.”

No he doesn't. He's only saying that so their friendship isn't weird anymore. It's not something that he really means. He doesn't really like her when he likes girls like Allura.

“Don't flatter me,” Pidge snatched her arm away from him. “I know you don't mean that. So let's pretend like I never said anything and you didn't know. I'll see you on Monday, Lance.”

With those words and ignoring everything Lance tried saying before she left, she speed walked to her car and drove away. She cried all the way home, simping away.

Great, now she has to act like nothing ever happened. Life was made better as Matt was playing Somebody That I Used To Know. That made her cry harder.

Matt still listens to that?

She ignored her mom, who she had called after the game to tell her that she's going to Lance's house, and went straight to her room so that she could hear Matt's music through his wall.

Having their rooms right next to each other was both a blessing and a curse, but right now it was a little bit of both as she cried along to the music that was softly playing.

Why? Why would she do that? Her and Lance had such a good thing going for them and now she was going to have to face him when they got back to school on Monday.

Great. Just fucking great. Pidge knew that she was the one to blame for their friendship that was soon to come apart, but that didn't stop her from milking all the words that he said that she just wished he meant. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's out :))
> 
> Also the Honerva part was so random but I wanted her in the story somehow soooo


	27. harvestbells

“KEITH, GET TO MY HOUSE NOW!”

“Lance, holy fuck,” Keith mumbled into the phone. “What's happened, bro?”

“A lot, buddy,” Lance acted as if Keith could see him ruffling his hair and breathing heavily through the phone. He was freaking out over what happened fifteen seconds ago.

Pidge… Pidge actually liked him. How impossible was that? At the game, he was ranting to Keith about how she would never like a guy like him.

Two quarters and a lecture from coach later and he finds out that Pidge was crying to  _ Keith  _ about  _ him.  _ Because she thought that Lance was flirting with Allura again. What's so special about him that she tried?

Lance really thought that he was going to punch Keith the second they were alone. Because why the hell does Keith have to take all of the girls that he likes? Especially one like Pidge? But he was proven wrong since she likes him.

“I'm heading over there,” Lance could hear Keith and the clicking of his keys as he shouted goodbye to his mom. The front door of Keith's house slammed so loud that Lance wondered if it had broken.

“Also, bring the rest of the guys and add in the entire softball team,” Lance could basically hear the excitement through the phone as Keith started his car, his car without a muffler roaring as he laughed loudly.

“I'm already texting them all right now. Specific reasoning?” Keith asked.

“Objection, your honor. Irrelevance,” Lance signed at his uneaten pizza. The one that he had been hoping to share with Pidge. Why did she have to leave so quick? “Besides, aren't you driving right now? Get off your phone.”

Keith only laughed. “The blessing of red lights and stop signs.” With that, the call ended as Lance hung up for the safety and concern that his friend was going to crash at ten at night on a Friday evening after a game. 

Did Pidge get home fine? Lance usually text her when she leaves her house to make sure that she got home and all. Seems a bit insensitive if he were to text her right now, especially considering that she thinks that he's lying to her.

Why can't she believe him? His expectations at an actual relationship with her were low but holy fuck, man. He didn't expect her to confess her feelings for him while crying in his kitchen.

How funny is it that he was  _ so  _ pissed off at Keith when Lance saw them at the game? But all Keith did was wink and tell him to wait for it? It's almost like Keith somehow knew what was going to happen.

Impossible. Keith would've told him. He wouldn't let Lance self doubt himself if he knew that Pidge was going to say something about her feelings later that night. Maybe even she didn't know that she was going to do it.

The doorbell rang for the damn second time that night. The first time interrupted him telling her that he likes her too. Why hadn't he told her while she was trying to run away? He should've screamed it for the whole world to hear that he likes Katie Holt.

“Yo, McClain, open up!” Lance heard from the other side of the door. He recognized the voice as Ezor, who lives down the street. He moved from his spot on top of the island and went to open the door. He was surprised to see Zethrid standing next to her.

“Yeah, we're a thing, stop staring,” Ezor rolled her eyes and stepped inside of Lance's house. Zethrid waved and walked inside too. They saw his letterman atop of the pizza box. “Wasn't Pidge wearing that?”

Lance rubbed the back of his neck as he reached for the door handle. He didn't close it, though, since he saw a black car roll up in his driveway and -  _ ah Keith has arrived. _

“That's a hard was,” Lance commented, seeing Keith run out of his car and into the house. When he saw Ezor's confused face, he shrugged. “I'll explain it when everyone gets here.”

“BRO, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP?” Keith yelled as he ran to the door. “Matt called me right now to ask why his sister came home from your house crying. What'd you do? I called Hunk and Lotor, by the way.”

Lance sighed. “I've got pizza. Help yourself. Oh look, it's Kinkade.”

Ryan parked his car on the curb. Quite literally… On the curb. Lance could swear he heard Kinkade's groan of frustration all the way from the inside of the house.

“Who else is coming?” Lance asked Keith.

Keith had already stolen a chocolate milk and was now giving plates to Ezor and Zethrid for the pizza. “Bi-Boh-Bi, Acxa, Lotor and Hunk. The other guys all went to a party that the kids at Quantium. The girls wanted to do something that they hadn't explained. Probably illegal.”

“Had one experience with a girl from Quantium,” Lance thought back to Nadia. Oh, how he had screwed her over. “Didn't end so good, but that was my fault anyways.”

Kinkade knocked once before letting himself into Lance's house. He gave a two finger salute as a gesture for hi. “So like, who's gonna be the one to weasle what happened to Lance?”

“Yeah, who's it gonna be?” Lotor ask as he walked into the house, Hunk trailing behind him. “I heard that there was very important news regarding Lance's love life and I need to know now.”

Lance whipped his head to Keith. “Why would you say it's about my love life? I never even told you if it had anything to do with Pidge.”

“Trust me, I knew.”

“Keith knew what?” Acxa asked as she arrived. “Sorry for not knocking but it seemed a bit urgent since it has to do with Pidge.”

“I hate you,” Lance shook his head at Keith. “Aight, guys. I've got pizza that I ordered for me and Pidge but she stormed out before we had the chance to actually eat it so help yourselves.”

The three girls all narrowed their eyes at him. It makes sense, considering that Pidge is their teammate and catcher. It's easy to get defensive about best friends. All Pidge did earlier was get defensive about herself and her feelings.

Especially considering how vulnerable she allowed herself to be. Pidge let herself cry in front of him and then (most likely) accidentally confess her feelings. It's one hundred percent okay for her to react like she did.

“Why would she leave if she wasn't angry or anything like that?” Zethrid asked. “What happened that made her so upset that she left? Did you do anything?”

“You should sit down.” Lance, being the smart ass that he is, sat down where he was right now, in front of his kitchen island. Everyone else followed by example for some reason and they ended up sitting in a circle.

“I think Bi-Boh-Bi is gonna be late,” Keith commented. “Oh well, that means that I can have his slice of pizza.”

Lance sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Everyone was staring at him, waiting for an explanation. He didn't know how to tell them something Pidge had wanted to keep between them two. Not only that, but she had requested that they never speak of this again.

That's a big oof.

“So,” Lance started. “While Pidge was here, I questioned her about why her and Keith were hugging. She said she felt ignored, and that it's because of the stupid football guy and that he likes a tennis girl that wasn't her.”

He stopped to see if everyone else understood what he was getting at. Except for Keith, who was grinning like crazy, they all had unreadable expressions on their faces. But, they nodded for him to continue.

“She had, what I'm guessing, accidentally confessed her feelings for me. I'm guessing that she accidentally did it, not that she has feelings. No, I know for a fact that she does have romantic interest in me now. It's really-”

“Lance!” Acxa cut him off from his nervous rambling. “Continue.”

He cleared his throat. “Right. So, I tried to tell her that I don't want to be just friends anymore, because she kept repeating that she's accepted that that's all we're gonna be. She didn't believe me when I said that I wanted her and she stormed off after.”

The first one to speak after about a minute of silence was Hunk. “I mean, it's about time that someone put on the big boy pants and confessed. I just didn't think that it was going to be her.”

Ezor nodded at that statement. “I fully agree. I think she was only in disbelief and emotional, and that's why she wouldn't believe anything you said. She was setting herself up for that rejection.”

Lotor gestured towards the letterman jacket. “You let her wear the damn thing. She had been crying, and didn't want to be let down anymore than she thought she was. It's probably embarrassing for her. Imagine confessing to your crush while crying?

Zethrid tapped her chin as she thought. “I think that she didn't want to believe you because it all sounded too good to be true. I mean, you're her best friend and all. She doesn't want to lose you.”

Acxa clapped her hands together as she put them in her lap. “Yeah, I agree with Zethrid. The poor girl had to go through seeing you with Allura and all that. You can't blame her for being a little bit in disbelief when you say that you want to be more than friends.”

Keith had finally done something after staying silent for so long. That something was to start dying of laughter. He didn't stop until he was lying down and laughing.

Everyone looked at him quizzically. Keith made a time out sign with his hands so he could continue laughing without the rest judging him. Well, that's impossible since he interrupted them over analysing everything that Pidge did.

“I'm sorry, but you are all thinking way too hard about this,” Keith wiped the tears from his eyes. “Guys, he likes her and she likes him. Why are we talking about everything that she did when the answer is obvious?”

“And what exactly is that answer?” Lance raised an eyebrow at the know it all since Keith knew exactly what to do when a girl actually likes you back.

“You ask her out, you dumbass,” Keith answered as if this was easy. As if it were that simple to figure out?

Lance thought. Would it really be so easy? Him and Pidge are already best friends. Nothing would change except for the label so why the hell was he flipping out so bad?

He knows now for certain that Pidge liked him back. He only had to go through that one sided phase for a little bit. How long had she been going through that? How had he never caught onto anything?

It hurt her. It hurt her to think that she had ruined the friendship. The only way that their friendship is being ruined is by making it something more and getting into that relationship. The hard part is him growing the balls to ask her out.

Yeah, no.

“What are you going to do about this new information?” Hunk questioned, his voice only sounding like light teasing.

“Objection, your honor. Irrelevance,” Lance protested.

“Objection overruled,” Keith looked as though he had no say over the overrule, even though he was the one in the position to not allow the question. Damn it, Keith.

“What are you going to do about this new information?” Hunk repeated.

Everyone's eyes bore on his as they waited for him to answer. Truth be told, Lance didn't really know what he was going to do now. What's he supposed to do?

He's the one with the power in this position. He was the one who had to decide either their friendship or relationship. He knew he wanted the latter, but he had to think about what she wanted too.

Because if Pidge really tried to believe that he was lying and wouldn't take his words to heart, what if it was because she didn't want to? What if this was what she needed to get over him?

Lance can be selfish and ask her out anyways and hope for the best. The universe had screwed him over so bad with relationships, doesn't he get a moment of calm?

“I'm gonna ask out Pidge when we get back to school on Monday,” Lance decided.

Even though everyone cheered and gave him their approval, he couldn't help but be absolutely scared shitless. Especially when the three girls had murderous looks on their faces.

This is it, and this is what Lance is going to do on Monday. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow :)


	28. nigella damascena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scientific name: Nigella damascena  
> Higher classification: Love-in-a-mist  
> Nigella damascena is an annual garden flowering plant, belonging to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is native to southern Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia, where it is found on neglected, damp patches of land. The specific epithet damascena relates to Damascus in Syria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sad this is ending :(

Pidge walked into fifth period with her head up high and expectations down low.

Maybe trying to ignore Lance all that she could wasn't great when she wanted to act as if nothing had happened. It probably would've been better for her if she had simply acted how she normally does instead of coming through the back door instead.

The back door meant that she didn't have to walk past him. That was fine, because even as she walked to her desk looking straight up at the ceiling, she could still see Lance and how he was trying to get her attention.  

As soon as she sat down, the bell had rung. Oh, yeah. That's another thing that she did that was out of the ordinary; show up to biology right before the bell rings. She gets there for Lance and this time, everyone had been there before her. No big deal.

Pidge tried to pay attention to Mr. W's instructions for today's worksheet. But she couldn't as she turned her focus to the back of Lance's head instead. She was wondering what he's thinking right now…

Probably how to reject her easily. She spent most of the weekend with Matt. She finally explained to him, and only him, that she likes Lance and what she said on Friday. He allowed her to spend the weekend crying, and thinking about how long it would take for her to get to the moon to avoid school on Monday.

“You can listen to music but stay at your desks. Remember, this is a solo assignment. You have until the end of class,” Mr. W dismissed everyone to begin the work.

Solo assignment didn't stop Lance from turning around and facing her, though. He looked and her and smiled. “Hi.”

Pidge wanted to scream and cry. There's no way she's talking to him right now. She should put her headphones in before she says something that she'll probably regret. Exactly like she did on Friday after the game.

“Can we talk?” Lance asked.

Great. Now he wanted to talk about what she had said. He only needs to reject her. Not much to talk about. “Isn't that what we're doing right now?” Good job, acting sarcastically!

“I mean about what happened on Friday,” he lightly laughed, turning his head a bit to see if Mr. W was watching or hearing him.

Play dumb. “What's Friday?” Wait, not that dumb. Why can't her brain properly work around Lance? Why does it have to be so damn difficult just because a cute boy shows up in her line of vision?

Lance dared to laugh a little louder. He took another glance at Mr. W. “Pidge, c'mon. We have to talk about everything from Friday.”

“What happened Friday?” Good, playing dumb will suggest to him that she's pretending that nothing happened. He should understand after this. If he doesn't then that's dense, even for a football player.

“You know what I mean,” Lance now had a serious tone as he spoke. “Pidge, I want to talk about what happened. I think that you should too, especially if you're trying to act like you didn't say anything.”

When Pidge didn't say anything, he sighed. “Can I at least borrow your headphones, then?”

She nodded, and grabbed the tangled wires of white from her hoodie. The hoodie itself is soft, with the lettering reading ‘Garrison Softball' in the school colors. She got lettered for making varsity, and sometimes she wishes that she had bought the jacket.

Eh, it's just a stupid sweater that's going to mean nothing after high school. She wore Lance's once (1) and that's enough letterman jacket action to last her for a lifetime and many others after that.  

Handing over the headphones, she jumped when the tips of their fingers touched. Duh, Pidge. You're going to make physical contact when giving something to someone. She noticed Keith trying to keep in laughter.

“What?” She turned her attention away from Lance, which was pretty hard. As much as she didn't want to talk to him, she wanted to keep staring at his beautiful face. She stuck her tongue out at Keith as he started laughing.

Pretending was happening a lot today as she pretended not to catch the look that Lance gave Keith, with eyebrows all the way up on his face and eyes wide. Did he look panicked? If anything, Pidge is the one who's panicking.

“Keep that tongue in your mouth before it ends up down someone's throat,” Keith commented before putting his hoodie on his head as protection from Lance's wild pencil.

“Watch yourself,” Lance warned. “Or else I'm going full quarterback on you when we go to practice tomorrow.”

“I can defend myself but okay,” Pidge shrugged and turned to her worksheet. She didn't really feel like doing it, so she turned her attention to Keith, who was next to her. “What'd you do after the game on Friday?”

Keith smiled. “What'd  _ you  _ do after the game on Friday?”

Pidge tensed up, and she could've sworn that she saw Lance freeze too. She ignored it, like she had been doing with all of his actions, and smiled back at Keith. “Listened to My Best Friend's Hot by The Dollyrots.”

It's not that it wasn't true. After explaining her situation to Matt, he found all sorts of songs that she could listen to. While it's not exactly a simp song, it did apply to her. It's just not all she did on Friday. But what's she supposed to say? Tell Keith that she also accidentally confessed her feelings to said hot best friend?

“Truly a good idea,” Keith commented. “I didn't want to come to class today. Or at least fifth period. It didn't seem that appealing and seeing as Lance isn't even paying attention to us, I would say coming was a waste of time.”

Lance  _ isn't  _ paying attention. He has Pidge's headphones, which he asked for, so it's clear that he is fine talking to her like normal. She didn't exactly want to talk with him. Good job trying to make the friendship as normal as possible.

How is he so chill about this? Pidge was freaking out the whole weekend about how she's going to face Lance and the interactions they've had so far have consisted of  _ headphones  _ which is a normal thing between them.

That, and him trying to talk about what happened that started this whole thing. That doesn't really matter, though. It's not an important detail here. She's way better off knowing that that moment never existed.

The moment when she stood with Lance only inches away from her as she was crying in his kitchen with his letterman jacket on, and confessed her feelings to him. Accident or not, it happened regardless and she can't stop reminding herself that it went down.

“I would say that you're the only one to think that,” said Lotor, piping in from next to Keith. “I one hundred percent believe that everyone else has found a purpose in this class. Could be to  _ talk,  _ you know?”

Lance pulled one headphone out of his ear and turned around exasperated at Lotor. When Pidge caught a glance from him, she grabbed the collar of her shirt and looked down, trying not to catch his eye.

“And why do you say that?” Asked Lance, raising a challenging eyebrow. “C'mon Lotor, why don't you explain it to us?”

Lotor chuckled and put his hands up in surrender. “I'm only backing down because I love Pidge so damn much.”

When Pidge narrowed her eyes at the baseball player, Lance turned back around to his worksheet rapidly. Seriously, she felt the whiplash he got from her seat, and she was facing forward.

“Pidge,” she heard someone whisper. She knew exactly who whispered it, but pretended not to hear him as she looked around pointlessly in every direction but his. She couldn't look at him right now. “I know you know I'm talking to you.”

But Pidge didn't budge. She stayed facing forward with her head down towards Keith. She shook her head, trying not to look at him because  _ god the second she meets his eyes. _

“What?” She asked, trying to keep her voice level. She noticed Keith and Lotor looking at them from the corner of her eye. For real, why are they so invested in them right now? There's nothing that's going to happen.

“Can we please talk?” Lance pleaded, placing a hand on her arm. She jumped at the sudden contact. The last time that he'd touched her there, he had been trying to stop her from leaving on Friday.

“I don't really want to talk about it,” Pidge couldn't look up. She couldn't see his face because he probably has that soft smile on with the slight blush, like he did the last time they had talked.

He had very clearly tried talking to her before Monday. The missed calls and facetimes isn't even all of the evidence that she has to support her claim. There's three hundred and eighty five texts where he keeps asking her to please call him. She left him on read.

“You clearly need to,” Lance sighed loudly to the point where she saw even Allura had started watching them. “You can't escape me after this class and you know that. We're talking after this.”

“Yes, you can certainly talk after class since this is a solo assignment,” Mr. W said from his desk.

“After class, then,” Pidge appointed.

*

She was not ready after class.

When the bell rang, she almost jabbed her pencil into her hand. She was so caught off guard by a bell that regularly rung at that time. It wasn't the bell. It was the inevitable that came after the shrill sound.

Lance looked prepared, though. He turned around at her. Pidge flinched and glared down at the floor and started putting all of her things away in her backpack, taking her sweet time with everything.

While it was expected, she really hoped that Lance wasn't going to wait with her as she put her stuff away. She stood up from her desk very slowly, looking down. His eyes would make her too weak right now.

They started to make their way outside of the classroom, him by her side. She didn't dare take even a peek at him because she knows the way he holds his emotions in his eyes was going to break her. She didn't need to see him right now.

Even once outside of the biology classroom, no words had been said. Pidge was gripping one of the straps of her backpack tightly, her hand turning white because of how much pressure she was gripping it with.

“Shit, I left your headphones inside of the room,” Lance groaned. “Sorry, can we pause this real quick and go get them?”

Pidge nodded, unable to say anything. Whatever came out of her mouth right now would be way too clouded with emotions. It would all sound stupid anyways. She followed him inside anyways as he walked into the classroom.

Mr. W came out of the back room that connected his classroom with the classroom that was in back of it, which was the theatre room. He didn't have his tie on? It's… weird seeing a teacher without something that they almost always have on.

“I left something in here,” Lance told the teacher.

“Take your time. Like, really. Stay in here as long as you like. Take your time,” Mr. W shrugged and returned into the back room, closing the door behind him.

Lance walked to where his desk is, Pidge trailing behind him. She sat on top of one of the lab tables as he searched around their desk for her headphones. Crush or not, if he lost those headphones, she's going to be pissed.

Maybe he couldn't find them and that's why he changed the subject. Maybe it was because they were alone with permission to stay in there for as long as needed. Maybe it was the unresolved tension between them.

Whatever it was, Lance hopped over the one desk and landed in front of her. He put his hands on the side of her, resting on the table. Pidge took one look at his face that seemed  _ so sad  _ and she couldn't do it.

“God, I'm sorry, okay!” She snapped, her voice cracking as she looked down. His face was too painful to peer at, and it did exactly what she had been scared to do. She didn't want to talk to him, as necessary as it was.

“What are you sorry for?” Lance asked, concern littered in his tone. Why did he have to sound so gentle? She didn't want that kind of care from him when he was going to reject her any second now.

“I'm sorry for liking you. You're probably upset that it's me who's hopelessly in love with you and not Allura or another prettier girl or a great guy that you deserve. You got stuck with  _ me  _ liking you. I'm sorry for ruining the friendship that we had. I'm sorry for it all.”

It stayed silent for a good twenty seconds. She had gone off without even meaning to. She couldn't face him or take the smallest look at whatever expression he had on his face. She couldn't do it without going off on him again.

“Pidge, look at me,” Lance's hands found a place on her face. He slowly lifted her head so that she was staring into his eyes. His dark, blue eyes that could tell her everything and nothing when he felt like letting others know what he was thinking.

His mouth was curved slightly upwards at the corners. His cheeks were only slightly red while the tips of his ears held the shade a bit more brightly. But most of all  _ his eyes.  _ His eyes were focused on her so intensely.

“Who said that you're not a prettier girl?” Lance asked, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly to challenge her previous statement.

“Just about every other girl or guy you've ever had a crush on,” Pidge scoffed. His eyebrow quirk was cute. Everything on his face was littered with an innocent look that made her heart beat faster.

“Wait,” Lance's voice suddenly sounded defensive. “Did anybody tell you something? Because I didn't tell anybo-”

“No,” Pidge could swear she saw the doubt flash in his eyes. “I mean that compared to everyone else you like, I am nothing like them. I'm a girl and not in touch with my femininity. And I'm not a boy, so that's not okay.”

Lance shook his head and put his forehead against hers. Pidge started screaming in her head. “You want to know why you're not like any other person that I've ever liked?”

Because every other person he's ever liked, he was with. Here it is. Here comes the harsh, cold rejection. The forehead touch is to soften the blow. “Why?”

“Because you're my best friend.”

“Could've just told me that you were gonna friend zone me, you know?” Pidge tried to ignore the knot in her throat as she tried not to cry. “I already know that we're staying friends-”

“But I want you to be my girlfriend.”

_ Oh. _

This seems impossible. It's not real because she's dreaming. Bet, she'll pinch herself right now and wake up. Bet, because there's no way that Lance McClain, her best friend, asked her to be his girlfriend.

“Bippity boppity back the fuck up, Lance,” Pidge had to put a hand on her chest to push him back a little bit. She had to make sure that she isn't being pranked right now. “Are you saying-”

“Katie Pidge Holt, I also like you,” Lance declared. “I didn't even know it, but I did. I am going to spontaneously combust if I don't make you my girlfriend. I want you to be in my life, so will you please be my girlfriend?”

Pidge had to stop herself from bouncing off of the walls. Lance. Her best friend Lance who she's been best friends with since freshman year actually likes  _ her  _ back _.  _ The school's most loved boy is crushing on  _ her. _

“I guess I'll show my affection then.” Were the last words to leave Lance's mouth before he put it against hers.

Pidge always knew that Lance was a good kisser considering all the people that he's dated, but  _ damn  _ she didn't expect him to be  _ this  _ good. He tenderly cradled her face in his hands as he kissed her bottom lip while her top one stacked on top of his.

The hand that was on his chest moved to his shoulder so that she could pull him in closer. He took one hand off of her face and put it on her hip. He tugged her to him, her ankles hooking behind him. 

She could feel Lance smile against her lips as he pulled apart for a second to breathe. He kissed her again, groaning against her and the way that she was moving her hand up and down his shoulder. “Katie…”

When Lance pulled apart again and pressed his lips to her jawline, she put her head back to give him more access. “Lance…”

A little pain flared through her as she realized that he was biting her as he traveled to her neck. “Katie, I need everyone to know that you're with me now.” He was  _ trying  _ to leave a mark.  

The lust of both of their emotions and having wanted to have done this so long ago was making them go at it. When he sucked on the bite to ease the slight pain, she decided that she needed his lips on hers again.

“Lance…” She grabbed his face because he had moved on to make another hickey. She had no idea how she was going to explain this to her mom or Matt, but it didn't matter right now. All that seemed to matter was how intense he was kissing her right now.

His tongue licked her bottom lip. Oh, really? He licked all over her neck but thought to be polite  _ now  _ by asking for permission to stick his tongue inside of her mouth? She still let him, and opened her mouth to grant his access.

When his tongue met hers, it felt different. It's not like this is Pidge's first tongue kiss. It's just her first tongue kiss with  _ Lance.  _ Her first hickey from  _ Lance.  _ Her first  _ kiss  _ from  _ Lance. _

A clearing of a throat is what finally interrupted the two from their little make out session. Lance jumped away from her as Pidge almost fell off of the lab table that she had been sitting on. Her legs felt like jelly where he had been standing two seconds ago.

Mr. Shirogane was standing there in the doorway of the back room. Why was he in Mr. W's room?

“Takashi,” Mr. W walked into the room and looked at Pidge and Lance. “These two were making out just now, weren't they?”

“Adam,” Mr. Shirogane rolled his eyes at Mr. Shirogane. “You can't get mad at them when we were doing the exact same thing right now.”

Pidge almost fell off the table again. Everyone had called it. “Takashi!” Mr. W tried sounding stern, but it was clear that he was trying not to laugh right now.

“Sorry, are you going to have to punish me?” Mr. Shirogane winked at the pair. “You kids have fun. You aren't the first ones to make out on that table, by the way.”

Mr. W pulled Mr. Shirogane by the tie, and only then did Pidge and Lance notice that their theatre teacher was wearing Mr. W's tie. 

*

“You never answered my question,” Lance poked her shoulder once they had exited the classroom.

“Which one?” Pidge asked. She needed to hear him say it again. Only to make sure that she hadn't imagined the whole thing and that her and Lance actually kissed.

“Katie, will you be my girlfriend?” Lance came to a stop at the end of the hallway, standing in front of her with a serious glint in his eyes. “We made out right there but you never actually became my girlfriend and that's kinda important.”

Pidge laughed at his dorkiness. Only would it be Lance that she makes out with someone and doesn't even answer the question of becoming the girlfriend until later.

“Yes, Lance,” the smile on her face only grew. “I will be your girlfriend.”

“Mi sueño que voy a queira por todo mi vida, Katie,” Lance spoke in spanish.

Even though she didn't know what it meant, Pidge assumed that it meant something good and stood on her toes to lean up and kiss him again.

This time, it was filled with less lust and more will affection. He kissed her gently, and she smiled against him. It was painful how she had been thinking ten minutes ago how Lance could never like her back.

Now look what's happened.

Lance pulled away first, at her disappointment. He put a hand in his back pocket. “Guess what?”

Pidge tapped her chin. “Hmm, what?”

He pulled her headphones out of his pocket. She had forgotten about them, but they had ultimately led to Pidge and Lance making out in a classroom so like hey, she's not complaining for them missing for five minutes.

She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. “If you lost them, you would've lost a limb.”

“Well shit.”

Lance pulled her in again, and he grabbed her hand. “C'mon, everyone is waiting for us. They want to know the results.”

She's held Lance's hand before, but his hand felt so much more comforting now. “Did you tell them about Friday?”

“Every last detail so we can over analyze your every action.”

“I'll kill you for that later.”

“I know.”

When Pidge and Lance showed up to their usual table holding hands, and everyone started cheering, Pidge decided that there's no where else she'd rather be right now than beside Lance.

They've framed the puzzle, pieces fitting perfectly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 28 chapters, 19 bookmarks, 2519 hits, 50 comments and six months later, we've finally come to an end. 
> 
> I'm a super reminiscent person who hates it when stuff ends so I literally don't wanna end this rn :( it makes me sad to think that I won't open the docs to write more chapters while listening to Rex Orange County :(
> 
> I gotta end this before I get too sad. You have all been the best with the most encouraging comments. I'll see you on the flip side. 
> 
> Bye! 
> 
> -noemi


End file.
